When You Meet Your Soulmate
by PentacleRose
Summary: What happens when you meet your soulmate? But what if that person was someone you already knew, but not as him or her? In this modern day Zutara story, you can feel the hormones playing with the lives of a couple of teenagers.
1. Chapter 1 - First Day

It was yet again another first day at St. Clamence High School. The first day after summer break. There was always a lot to see on a first day. Young freshman trying frantically to get to their lockers, without being trampled upon by the older and more secure sophomores, juniors and seniors. They clung together in the hope that someone would notice them before they were mowed down, and so forming new friendships at the hand of survival. Meanwhile, old friends would look over the crowd to spot each other and yell when they found one another. Thus creating a hectic, loud, and cluttered atmosphere.

Katara stepped out of her brother's car, scanning all the people who were trying to get in the school, looking for a familiar head of short, messy brown hair that belonged to her boyfriend.

_Boyfriend. Jeez._ She had an actual boyfriend! She still had difficulty believing that he was actually hers. Even though they had started dating before summer break, and all through summer break hanging out with each other. But hey, he was one of the popular guys at school. He was handsome, muscular due to the fact of him being the football captain, and he had a certain devil-may-care air about him that made him all the more attractive. He was a senior now, which meant that his attractiveness had probably been increased ten-fold.

Not being able to find the before mentioned head, Katara sighed and turned around to close the car door.

"Katara!" Sokka shouted over the roof of his car.

"What?" Katara asked annoyed.

"Don't slam with Carsie's door! She has feelings too you know!"

Katara sighed again, _seriously!_ She thought, _the fact that a guy loves his car, I can deal with. But giving a car such a ridiculous name and treating it like it's a human being over the top._

"Sokka, it's a car. It doesn't have feelings, it's just a hunk of metal. And a filthy hunk at that."

Sokka's mouth dropped open, as if he couldn't believe his ears. Turning away from her he began patting his car. "Don't you listen to the mean girl Carsie, she just doesn't get the complicated relationship you and I share" he muttered under his breath.

Katara rolled her eyes at her brother and started to turn around, but was stopped by a pair of hands that found their way in front of her eyes.

"Guess who's behind you" a seductive voice whispered in her ear.

"Jet!" Katara smiled and turned around so she was facing her super sexy, super hot boyfriend. "I've missed you! It feels like an eternity since I last saw you."

Jet laughed. "You saw me two days ago, on Saturday remember? When we went to the movies. By the way, now we're talking about it, what kind of movie was it? I can't seem to remember."

"I sincerely wouldn't know, even if my life depended on it" Katara smiled, remembering how their date had gone.

Jet hadn't seemed interested in the movie at all, and five minutes after it began had made that fact clear as day. He had leaned towards her in his chair, moving his arm around her shoulders. Making it possible for her to lean against him. When she was settled, he had started whispering things in her ear, his lips seductively touching her ear shell. At first it had been comments about the movie and how bad the actors were. As the movie progressed however, the comments changed to little nips and caressing kisses. He even started suckling her earlobe when she couldn't take anymore and turned to him. She forgot all about the movie when they started making out. Not even when the movie ended and the end titles and credits rolled of the giant screen. An employee of the movie theatre had to tap Jet on the shoulder before either of them noticed that the theatre was empty.

"It truly is a shame" Jet said. "But at least I had fun" he smirked.

"Yeah, me too" Katara smirked back at him.

Right then, the school bell rang out, signaling all the students it was time for class.

"See you at lunch?" Jet asked.

"Yeah, see you there" Katara answered while leaning towards him, making her intentions clear. Jet smiled and indulged her by leaning down and placing his lips against hers, kissing her softly.

"See ya later Hun"

Before Katara could open her eyes he was gone. Smiling to herself she opened her shoulderbag to get her schedule. _Hmm, first English in room 214._

Walking towards the entrance of the school with the other students Katara noticed a lonely looking, black haired guy lounging just inside the entrance. She could only see his back, but he looked vaguely familiar. He also looked old enough to be walking around here for a while. _Probably a senior_

Then the guy turned around and Katara recognized Zuko Ozai. He was a classmate of Jet's and son of the principle of St. Clamence High School. He had a nasty looking scar on the left side of his face, but Katara didn't know how he had come by it. She had asked Jet, but Jet hadn't known either. Just like everyone else. No one in the entire school knew, _and if they knew, they won't tell_, Katara thought. She quickly looked away from him, before he caught her ogling him, or rather his scar. Apparently he was really sensitive in that respect, because every time someone was watching his scar, he would scowl menacingly.

Getting through the entrance without being squashed by the other students, or being scowled at by one student in particular, Katara made her way to room 214. Along the way, she caught up with Suki, who was a sophomore, just like her. The compared their schedules and it turned out that they had English, math en history together.

"So… Are you trying out for the swim team again this year?" Suki asked as they walked into the classroom.

"Of course! Swimming is my life, you know that. Or at least you should, you know, with you being my very best friend and all" Katara shot her friend a look.

Suki laughed. "Duh! Of course I know swimming is your life, I only have to hear it at least once a day from you!" Suki stuck out her tongue at Katara.

Katara was about to make a snappy retort when the teacher, professor Zei, came in.

"Good morning students, please take your seats, so we can begin this new year fresh."

The class fell silent as they listened to professor Zei talking about what they would cover this semester. The hour went by with amazing speed and afterwards Katara and Suki walked to their next class together, history.

"Ugh, I don't get history you know? I mean it's in the past, we can't change a thing, so why bother learning about it?" Suki complained.

Katara had heard this before and refrained from answering. Unperturbed Suki continued. "But hey, at least we're not the students that have to come here in the future."

"What's wrong with being a future student?" Katara frowned.

"Because they'll have to learn even more history" Suki grinned. Katara looked at her friend amazed. Than the laughter burst forward.

"What's so funny?" All of a sudden Sokka appeared out of nowhere effectively shutting Suki up.

"Nothing Sokka, just a joke" Katara told her brother.

"Aw come on, I love jokes! Love to hear them, love to tell them as well! I'm like the Joke Master, or better. I'm the Jokiest!" Sokka laughed over his own joke.

"Too bad you're not the funniest" that shut him up. He glared at his little sister. Then he turned to Suki. "You think I'm funny don't you?" he appealed to her.

Suki blushed. "Uhm, sure Sokka, your jokes are ok" Suki stammered.

Suddenly Sokka stopped, putting his hand on Suki's shoulders, causing her to flush red.

"Ok?! You think my jokes are ok? My jokes are brilliant, they're the best jokes you'll ever hear!"

"Sokka, stop harassing my friends, we're late for class" Katara cut in, seeing her friend's discomfort.

Sokka let his hands drop from Suki's shoulders and frowned at his sister.

Without as much as a glance at her brother, Katara grabbed Suki's hand and pulled her towards the history classroom.

Unlike Suki, Katara liked history, especially the stories about long ago battles and the legends and myths that derived from those long forgotten places. There was one myth in particular that spoke to Katara. The myth of the Painted Lady.

She liked the fact that there could be such a person, who was completely selfless, who always let other people's needs and wants go first, before she thought of herself. And that millions of years later people still remembered her and what she did. Katara was amazed by the sheer goodness of the Painted Lady. Katara was rudely interrupted from her contemplations by the history teacher Mr. Bumi.

"Good morning you young people, it is a bright new day, perfect to learn some history!" Mr. Bumi exclaimed.

Mr. Bumi was one of the strangest teachers Katara had ever had. No one really knew how old he was. Some days you could see him wearing old, shabby, almost robe-like clothes, which seemed to swallow him up, making him look like a fragile old man. Other days he would wear normal clothing, stand up straight, and then you could see how muscular his chest was.

Rumor had it that when Mr. Bumi was younger, he was a professional boxer, hence his muscular torso. He even had a nickname. King Bumi. But he had taken too many blows to the head, explaining his odd behavior. Despite all this, and the disgusting tufts of hair that stuck out of his ears, Katara found Mr. Bumi was one of the best teachers.

"Good morning Mr. Bumi" the class chorused

"So how was your summer? Anyone visited any nice old city like I told you to?" that was one of the good things about Mr. Bumi, he made history personal. Drawing from their own experiences. Making them talk about their vacation to the Mausoleum in Greece, or the Colosseum in Rome.

Today it turned out that a freshman, named Aang, who was in Mr. Bumi's last class, went to the ancient city of Pompey.

"And I thought that would be a good place to start this year everybody, so get out those notebooks and pens, and start making notes" there was a rustle when everyone collected their writing utensils and started copying the notes Mr. Bumi wrote on the board.

Five minutes before the end of class Mr. Bumi assigned them their homework.

"All right you young scavengers, for homework I want you all to write a three pages long essay about something you did in your summer break. But please, make sure it's historically correct" Mr. Bumi eyed some students in particular, who quickly started packing their bags.

"Well, I'm off to Spanish bella señorita" Suki said to her friend and walked away. Katara checked her own schedule. _ Study hour. Seriously, what crazy mind planned a study hour on Monday morning, right before lunch?_ Katara sighed and headed to her locker, where she got her laptop and put it in her shoulderbag. Next, she went to the school's study lounge and installed herself at a corner table so no one would bother her. She fired up her laptop and started browsing the internet. So far, the only homework she had was Mr. Bumi's assignment, but that wasn't due until Thursday, so she decided it was ok to just do nothing for now.

She checked her email and saw that her anonymous pen pal had sent her an email. Smiling she opened it.

**From: **TheBlueSpirit21

**To:** PaintedLady362

**Subject:** Last First Day of High School

**Time:** 11.32 AM

Hey Painted Lady,

What have you been doing lately? It has been a while since we talked. Had any fun this summer? I know I have, but I'm also glad to go back to school. There is only so much I can take from my little sister, and she was getting worse as summer break progressed. I mean, I know she wants to look good and all, but I'm her big brother, I don't take it very well when she wants to go out while she is half naked…

But besides her, I'm doing well myself. As you might have guessed (see the subject of this email) this is my last first day of high school. I can't wait to go to college next year. Then I'd be finally able to live on my own.

Well, hope to hear from you soon.

The Blue Spirit

Katara was about to reply when a pop-up came on her screen.

"TheBlueSpirit21 has requested a chat" it read. Clicking on the confirm button, another screen came into view.

**TheBlueSpirit21:** Hey you, had a nice summer?

**PaintedLady362:** Hi! I just finished reading your email, was about to reply :P My summer was fine, yours?

**TheBlueSpirit21:** My summer was great, went to Italy, sightseeing with my dad and sister. Especially Venice was amazing. What did you do?

**PaintedLaby362:** I stayed at home most of the time… dad couldn't afford the time, he was away a lot… spent a lot of time with my grangran. It was nice, but not really exciting or anything. But Venice sounds great. When I can, I will go there for sure

**TheBlueSpirit21:** You should! It is really beautiful, but beware of the pigeons on Piazza San Marco, they'll eat your fingers if you're not careful… :P

**PaintedLady362:** I'll keep that in mind… if I'm ever lucky enough to ever go there

**TheBlueSpirit21:** So… how is your first day going so far?

**PaintedLady362:** Smooth, just had to classes, and only one homework assignment. We have to write a 3 pages long essay about something historical we did this summer… problem is, I haven't really done anything historical, unless you count the ancients reruns of some tv shows…

**TheBlueSpirit21:** bommer…

At that moment the bell rang out, signaling lunch. Katara started. She had no idea time was going so fast.

**PaintedLady362:** I gotta go, it's lunchtime already, and I'm starving. Talk to you later

**TheBlueSpirit21:** Yeah, I'm gonna get some lunch as well, but Painted Lady?

**PaintedLady362:** Yeah?

**TheBlueSpirit21:** beware of the pigeons. They're EVIL!

Katara snickered

**PaintedLady362:** LOL, evil pigeons. See you later

**TheBlueSpirit21:** see ya later

Without further ado, Katara shut her laptop, put it in her bag and headed for the cafeteria. Unbeknown to her, on the other side of the study lounge, an 18 year old senior shut down the computer he had just been chatting on with his pen pal. When he turned around his golden eyes fell on a retreating figure in blue. _She has a boyfriend you moron!_ He thought to himself as he watched Katara exit the lounge. But still, he couldn't deny she was beautiful, nor that he had had a thing for her ever since he laid eyes on her. If only he could talk to her as he talked to the painted lady. An idea popped in his head. _Of course! The painted lady could give some advice in that direction!_ Already composing an email to her in his head, he headed out of the lounge to get some lunch.

The cafeteria was crowded and noisy, students standing in line to buy their food, while others already sat at the tables, keeping each other's seats. Since Katara had made her own lunch at home, she didn't need to stand in line. She scanned the crowd and spotted Suki waving at her. Smiling she made her way to her friend. In the way, she bumped into a young freshman, or rather, he bumped into her, almost spilling his tray over her.

"Ow! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to bump into you!" the boy exclaimed. He was wearing a weird skin colored hat with a light blue arrow in the middle. Katara thought he looked ridiculous, but she smiled at him and told him she didn't mind, since no actual harm was done.

"It's ok, no harm done"

"Wow, you're the first non-freshman who is actually nice to me! I'm Aang!" he looked up at her with a big gray eyes and a goofy smile.

"Hey, you're the kid who went to Pompey this summer"

Aang frowned. "How would you know that?" he asked her.

"Oh, Mr. Bumi, the history teacher, told us in class. But I have to go, my friends are calling me" Katara went to turn away, but was stopped by Aang.

"Hey, would you mind if I sit with you at lunch? I kinda don't know anyone around here, I just moved here"

Katara looked at him perplexed.

"Er… Wouldn't you rather sit with the other freshmen? You should really try to make friends among your classmates" Katara saw his face fall and didn't have the heart anymore to turn him down. "It's ok to sit at my lunch table today I guess…" she trailed off.

As if by magic the goofy smile reappeared on his face. "Great!"

Katara heaved an inward sigh and lead the way to the lunch table where, besides Suki, now Jet also waited for her. Jet eyed Aang suspiciously before putting his arm around her shoulder. "Who's the fish?" he asked her.

"This is Aang, he bumped into me" she sat down next to Jet and took her lunch from her bag.

"You bumped into my girlfriend fish? What, you didn't see her or something?" Jet glowered at Aang, who turned deep red and began to mumble an apology.

"It was an accident Jet, he got shoved from behind, it wasn't his fault" Katara cut in, saving Aang and placating her boyfriend at the same time.

"So why is he here now?" Jet remained hostile.

"Jet!" Katara exclaimed, not believing the rudeness her boyfriend displayed.

"It's ok, I'll go" Aang said and stood from his place.

"No Aang, you can sit here if you want…"

"No really, I can get a message, I'll go" Aang turned and walked away.

Katara glowered at Jet.

"What?" he asked.

"You just totally scared him away! Do you have any idea how rude that was?" she slapped his arm.

"He's a fish, he has to learn his place. And his place is most definitely not at our lunch table" Jet excused himself.

Heaving an exasperated sigh Katara turned to Suki, who just rolled her eyes. The rest of the lunch hour went by uneventful and when the bell rang again Katara and Suki got up together and headed to math.

Math had always come easy to Katara and she zoned out as the teacher, Mrs. Dee, or as she said "Please, the Mrs. makes me feel old, call me Joo Dee!" droned on about equations and variables. Mrs. Dee never took note of students who weren't paying attention, or even to students who were asking questions. She just talked nonstop and didn't stop before she told them all she had to tell.

After math Katara said good bye to Suki and headed off to biology/healthclass, which was given by Mrs. Hama, an old woman who should have retired years ago, but somehow was still around. During class Katara copied notes from the blackboard.

"And I want you all to memorize the blood vessels in the human body, I will be giving a pop-quiz next week" Mrs. Hama announced. The entire class groaned in exasperation, a pop-quiz so soon? It couldn't be termed fair.

On her way to her last class for the day, Katara walked into Coach Pakku, the coach of St. Clamence High School swimming team.

"Hey coach" Katara greeted him.

"Ah, miss Hakoda, good thing I run into you just now. Tryouts for the swimming team are tomorrow morning before school, since you were such an exemplary swimmer last year, van I expect you to be there?" Coach Pakku asked.

"Of course coach, I'll be there"

With a nod, Coach Pakku walked off. Katara resumed walking to art appreciation, given by "The Mechanist" Bodan. He was actually more of an inventor than an artist, but he viewed his inventions as art.

The hour went by quickly with a discussion about the different kinds of columns used in ancient Greek architecture.

When the final bell rang Katara stood, checked her journal for her homework and went to her locker to get her books she would need. Besides the essay for history and learning all the human body blood vessels, she had to make two paragraphs worth of assignments for math. When she got to her locker, she took out her biology and math books and put them in her bag. Contemplating if she had forgotten something, Katara reviewed her day.

_It had been a good first day._


	2. Chapter 2 - Tryouts

**A/N:** First of all, I want to thank you for the reviews I got. There really amazing *feels appreciated*. Here is the second chapter of (hopefuly) many. Enjoy!

"It's way to early Katara!" Sokka grumbled at his little sister when she wouldn't stop knocking on his bedroom door.

"Well at least I made you breakfast, but you really need to hurry, I don't want to be late for tryouts."

At the mentions of food, Sokka was out of bed, dressed and heading towards the kitchen within two minutes. Katara shook her head at her brother and went into the bathroom the brush her teeth. When she got back to the kitchen she saw Sokka stuffing the last pancake in his mouth and trying to swallow it whole.

"You do realize that you wouldn't ruin it by chewing, right?" She joked to her brother.

"Hey, you wanted me to hurry, so I'm hurrying. It takes less time when you just swallow without chewing"

"Unless you choke" Katara pointed out.

Sokka sent her an are-you-kidding-me? look, and let out a loud burp. "Whatever, I'm finished. You ready to go?"

Katara checked the contents of both her shoulder- and sports bag and nodded. "Yeah, I've got everything I need. Let's go"

"Bye Gran-Gran!" Sokka shouted as he walked out the door to his car. Katara followed him and got in the front seat. As Sokka drove them to school he grumbled over the fact that he had to play chauffeur for his little sister. Katara ignored him, she had heard it all before and even though she agreed with him, the fact remained that she didn't have a car of her own.

"So, will your friend Suki be there, you think?" Sokka asked nonchalantly.

Katara looked at her brother askance. "I don't think so, she's not really into swimming. But why would you care?"

"Because than I'll have someone nice to talk to when I wait for 'normal' school to start" he rolled his eyes as if it was obvious. Katara snorted. "Yeah right, and you are a straight A student. Cut the crap Sokka, why would you care whether my best friend is there or not?"

Instead of answering Sokka ignored her and concentrated on driving to school. Once there, Katara got out of the car and headed for the girl's locker room, where she dumped her shoulder bag and quickly changed into her dark blue school swimsuit. When she was trying to get her hair under her swimming cap the door of the locker room opened and Yue Arnook, last year's swimteam captain walked in.

"Hi Katara, nice to see you again"

"Hey Yue, how was your summer?" at her question Yue made a face of disgust.

"My dad got the news that he will be reassigned this year. Which means that we will have to move sometime this year. But they don't yet know when, or where to" Yue explained.

"What does that mean? I mean, you're swimteam captain, you can't just quit in the middle of the year! Then we wouldn't have a captain, and the team would be a mess" Katara exclaimed, remembering what kind of disaster the swimteam had been before Yue had stepped forward and became captain. They needed Yue!

"You're right, I can't quit the team in the middle of the year, especially when I'm team captain. Which means I'm not going to try out for the team Katara. I'm only here to wish you all luck, and to tell Coach Pakku. Oh! And to give you this" she held out her hand to Katara. In it was the team captain armband.

"I know the decision isn't actually up to me, but you're the best swimmer on the team. Even better than me. The only reason you didn't became captain last year was because they never let a freshman be captain" Yue shrugged and continued. "I'll tell Coach Pakku what I think of you, and I'm pretty sure he'll agree with me"

Katara stared at Yue in disbelief, as the former captain still held out her hand with the band.

"Come on Katara, take it. You deserve it"

Katara shook her head, part in denial, part still in disbelief. "Give it to Coach Pakku. If he indeed agrees with you, then I'll gladly take it and wear it proudly, but not before I hear it from his own lips."

Yue sighed and shook her head while a small smile played upon her lips. "You really deserve it, whatever you may think"

Katara smiled back, but still made no move to take the armband from the other girl. Yue drew back her hand and headed to the pool exit to have a chat with Coach Pakku. When Katara entered the pool she saw a lot of the former members of the swimteam. All of them were good friends. But there were also a few freshmen, here to try out for the swimteam for the first time.

"Hi Katara. What is Yue doing talking to Coach Pakku? Isn't she supposed to try out like the rest of us? Or does she have some sort of special spot as captain?" Keiko asked.

"No, Yue just told me she's not here to try out for the team. Her dad got reassigned, and they don't know any specifics yet. But it pretty much comes down to the fact that she would have to move sometime this year. So she decided to stop now, instead of in the middle of the year" Katara explained.

"But that means someone else will be captain this year!" Rika cut in. "Who will that be I wonder?"

Not willing to divulge any more information Yue had given her, Katara shut her mouth and remained mute. Instead of a verbal answer she just shrugged.

The others started speculating who the candidates were for the captain spot. From there they started discussing who of the freshmen could manage to take a spot on the swimteam. They were interrupted by Coach Pakku, who introduced himself to the group at large and explained how the tryouts would progress.

"Good morning girls, welcome to the swimming team tryouts. I am Coach Pakku, the coach of both this, and the boys' swimming team. Before we start the tryouts, I want you all to know that I require a 100% commitment from anyone who wishes to join this team. I can't make good lemonade without proper lemons, you understand" he cast a stern look at all of them.

No, Coach Pakku wasn't someone you messed with.

"All right. Having said that" Coach Pakku continued. "Here is how the tryouts will go. First of all I want you to divide yourselves into two groups. The pool isn't big enough to give everyone enough space at the same time. Group 1 will start at the pool, while group 2 will start with stamina training."

There was a hustle of activity when the girls formed two groups. All the old teammates grouped together while the freshmen were still not overly confident about their status, so they clung together. It turned out they were pretty evenly divided this way. Coach Pakku looked over the group of freshmen.

"All right, this is group 1. Please wait by the side of the pool while I instruct group 2." A few freshmen nodded, and together they headed to the side of the pool.

"Group 2" Coach Pakku addressed the teammates. "All familiar faces I see. Well, you all know what the stamina training contains. But just in case the summer break has addled your collective brains, I want you to go to the track field and run three miles. I will come and get you when it is time to switch." Coach Pakku walked back to the group of freshmen.

The teammates went into the locker room to put on their training suits. Then they went out to the track field. Once there, they started running. If you wanted to join the team, you had to be committed, you shouldn't need someone who checked if you really ran three miles. You just did it, no questions asked. At first the group clung together, but soon gaps appeared in the group. They each had their own tempo by which they liked to run.

On the other side of the track field the tryouts for the cheerleading squad were being held. There were a lot more participants here than at the swimming team tryouts. There were a lot of young freshmen girls who compared being a cheerleader to being popular. In their minds, being a cheerleader automatically meant being popular. And they didn't mind being looked up to as a role-model. It didn't matter if you're grades were good, or if you were nice to other people. In a way their thought processes were correct. You didn't have to be nice, you could even be the biggest bitch alive. As long as you were a cheerleader, you were popular. Every girl would want to be your friend, and every guy would want to date you. Case in point: Azula Ozai.

Azula was the most popular girl of St. Clamence High School, she was head cheerleader, always cheering for the team, and the biggest bitch that ever walked the planet. Still, everyone sucked up to her. She had power, and she knew it.

Azula looked over all the – in her eyes – pathetic freshmen who had showed up for tryouts. She had always thought herself a people person. Always able to sniff out the most insecure one in a group, her gaze came upon a young girl with ridiculous pigtails that stuck out at the sides of her head. _Her eyes are too big for her face,_ Azula commented to herself, _and she should really close her mouth, so people don't have to look at that gap between her front teeth_. The girl was wearing an oversized knitted pink sweater, with an even uglier pair of purple kneepants under it, leaving a pair of unshaved lower legs open to view. _Jackpot!_ Azula thought as she let her gaze shift to the rest of the participants. _What a sad bunch_, Azula squared her shoulders.

"Ok everyone listen up. You are here to try out for the cheerleading squad. I am Azula Ozai, head cheerleader, and if you want in, you better please me. I can already tell for some of you this is wasted effort" She looked the girl with the pigtails straight in the eyes. The girl blushed and looked to the ground.

"Ty lee here" Azula indicated one of her best friends, "will now demonstrate some of the tricks I want you all to perform for me today" Azula stepped back and let Ty lee have center stage for now. Instead of walking over to the group of freshmen, Ty lee bent over and stood on her hands. The she moved towards them. Once she was front and center, she came right side up.

"First of all, I want you to execute a perfect cartwheel" Azula said while Ty lee obeyed and cartwheeled around the group.

"When you can do that, you have to be able to stand on your hands for more than ten seconds"

Ty lee stood on her hands an remained in that position while Azula explained the next trick. "Last, but not least, I want you to perform a perfect back flip" Ty lee pushed herself of the ground and just to impress, did a double back flip.

"And of course you have to stick the landing" Azula said as Ty lee came down on her feet again. "When you can do all that, you can make it through the pre-selection of the cheerleading squad"

All the freshmen were in awe of Ty lee's abilities and just stood there gapping at her.

"Well?" Azula barked "You won't get a spot when you just stand there gawping!"

The freshmen quickly scattered, each of them making sure they had enough room to perform to tricks. While they were practicing Azula and Ty lee moved through the group. Sometimes Ty lee would stop and give some advice about some difficulty of a certain trick. Azula just kept walking, only stopping to stare at some horribly executed trick. Without saying even one word, she made sure that the executer knew that she wasn't pleased.

After some time Azula called to group back together. "All right, I have seen some good performances, and some horrible as well. I want you to step forward one by one, than tell me your name and give it your best shot. I will tell you then if you made it through the pre-selection. If not, you are no longer welcome" Azula took out her clipboard and red pen. "First one!"

One of the more confident freshmen stepped forward. "My name is June Nyla" she said with a steady voice. Then she took a step back and performed a beautiful cartwheel. After that June bent down and her feet came up in the air. She stayed that way for more than twenty seconds, before she came up, her face red. Last was the back flip, which was executed with frightening precision. When she was done, she looked at Azula for the verdict.

"That was pretty good, congratulations, you made it through the pre-selection. Next!" Azula commented.

One by one the girls came forward, said their names and performed the tricks to the best of their abilities. Some were good and made it. Others were less good, and were politely asked to get the hell out of Azula's sight. And a few were just plain sad. One of those was the girl with the pigtails.

"Name?" Azula asked.

"Meng Wu" the girl mumbled looking at the ground.

"Well Meng Wu, show us your _best_" Azula put a lot of emphasis on the last word.

Meng blushed and prepared herself for the cartwheel. As she was about to place her hands on the ground Azula sneered, "Of course, your best would probably be nowhere near good enough"

At the words, Meng lost her focus and managed to fall on her head when her arms wouldn't hold her weight. Some girls snickered behind their hands, while other – like June – just laughed out loud. Azula smirked when Meng scrambled to her feet.

"That didn't go to well, wouldn't you say? Maybe your handstand is of better quality" Azula suggested.

Meng blushed ferociously, but instead of swinging her upper body down, placing her hands on the ground, and using her momentum to swing her legs in the air, she bent over and placed her hands on the ground in front of her feet. Her legs were stilled stretched, and the picture she showed to the other girls was a great cause of mirth. Trying to retain her focus, Meng made a little jump, trying to get her center above her head. When her legs didn't go further than waist height, she tried again. Failing her second attempt as well, she grumbled in frustration. But she was too obstinate to give up. It didn't take long to get some of the girls rolling on the ground, clutching their bellies and howling in laughter.

Azula humiliated the girl even more by pointing out that her disgusting pink sweater had slid down and that her bra was showing. A new burst of laughter went through the group. Dejectedly Meng straightened herself out and quickly pulled her sweater down. It seemed her face would remain red forever.

Noting this, Azula found another way to debase the girl even more. "Well, I'm sure they'll welcome you on the Halloween dance committee, you resemble a nice tomato" her comment brought tears to the girl's eyes. Laughing Azula added, "What, you seriously thought you could make it on the cheerleading squad? While you can't even do a proper handstand? I mean, what were you thinking, showing up here this morning? You don't have what it takes to be a cheerleader. Did you ever look in the mirror? Look at yourself! Your hair looks like you let birds nest in it, ever heard of a hair brush?"

More tears gathered in Meng's eyes, but Azula wasn't finished yet, she didn't leave a part of the girl's appearance untouched.

"And than the sweater, your grandmother made it, didn't she? Well, _my_ grandmother wouldn't even want to be found _dead_ in it. And honey, loose the pants, the purple totally clashes with your skin tone. I can surmise that you don't have enough money to afford decent clothing, but razors aren't that expansive you know" Azula concluded, letting her eyes fall to the unshaved region on Meng's legs.

Meng couldn't take anymore and with tears streaming down her face she ran off. In her haste to get away from the cheerleaders and the terror that was Azula, she almost ran into a girl who was running on the track field. Barely avoiding a collision, Meng apologized through her tears and ran off again, leaving Katara to stare after her and wonder what could have upset her so much.

Looking in the direction the crying girl had come from, Katara saw the cheerleaders laughing their asses off. _You're a Bitch Azula! With a capital B._ Katara thought to herself as she resumed running. When she finished the three miles, she stretched and did some exercises to keep warm while she waited for the others to finish and waiting for Coach Pakku to come and get them. One by one her teammates finished as well and joined Katara in the exercises. Five minutes after the last of them was finished, Coach Pakku walked onto the track field with the group of freshmen behind him. Some of them were teeth chattering from the cold. Even though it promised to be a beautiful day, the morning was quite cold and it didn't help their disposition that their hair was wet from swimming.

Coach Pakku explained what he expected of them and then turned to the teammates. With only a look he managed to convey his message and he walked back inside with the teammates following him. In the locker room the quickly divested themselves of their training suits. Once they were in the pool area, Coach Pakku let them dive into the water, with the aim to swim as far under water as they were able. One by one, they dove and after a while came back up for air some distance of the edge. Coach Pakku marked the achieved distance on a clipboard. When it was Katara's turn, she took a deep breath, walked to the edge of the pool, put on her goggles, straightened herself out and dove forward into the cool water. Once she was in the water, she moved her arms and legs with swift, powerful strokes. When her lungs started protesting the lack of oxygen they were receiving, she let a little of her air supply slip out of her mouth. She had long ago learned that it wasn't the lack of oxygen her lungs protested to, but rather the abundance of carbon dioxide. Letting the air slip out of her mouth bit by bit she kept swimming. When her air supply was spent, she came up for air, her lungs screaming. Breathing hard, she looked around and noted that she covered almost the entire length of the 82 ft. long pool. Swimming the last couple of feet to the other side, she got out and joined those who had already had their turn. When everyone had finished Coach Pakku made them race each other over a pre-set up parcour.

"You will dive in the pool here, swim to the other side and swim through the hoop in de middle. Once on the other side, you turn around and swim back, this time you swim over the hoop. You will repeat this routine but instead of going through the hoop, you'll have to dive deeper and go under it. Swim back over the hoop again to the place you started and you're done. You will not only be competing against the others, but also against time, for I will be clocking you" he walked halfway down the pool where the hoops were situated, while the teammates divided themselves evenly over the breadth of the pool.

A familiar feeling came over Katara as she took her place and waited for Coach Pakku to whistle. It was a mix of excitement for the thrill of competing and the tensing of her muscles readying for takeoff. She stood at the very edge of the pool. There weren't any starting blocks, for they were on the other side of the pool. But Katara had a hunch that they would be using them ere the tryouts were finished. The tension rose, everybody now stood ready and waiting. Katara took a deep breath and let it out again. _Concentrate on the water. Let it work for you._

A sharp whistle pierced the air and Katara dove in the water. Coming up for air, she started scissor kicking her legs while her arms sliced through the water. She came to the hoop, dove, and swam through it. Surfacing, she continued to the other side. When she reached the edge, she performed a somersault in the water, letting her feet find the wall of the pool and pushed herself forward. Completing her second lap, she turned again. This time she had to dive under the hoop. When she reached it, she dove down and swam under it. But this time she stayed underwater, near the pool floor for a while. Without coming up for air she reached the edge again and only after her turn she surfaced again. Making speed in her final lap, she quickly reached her starting position again. Taking of her goggles she watched the others finish after her. When the last one came in, Coach Pakku scribbled something on his clipboard and called out to them.

"Please swim to the starting blocks if you please, and take your hoop with you"

They all took off again, but this time it wasn't a race. Diving down to retrieve her hoop, Katara swam through it and let her foot hook through it to take with her. On the other side of the pool she hoisted herself out of the water and threw the hoop with the others.

"Lastly, I want to see your diving techniques, one by one please"

Stepping forward, Katara volunteered to go first. She climbed up on the starting block and stretched her arms, bent forward and let her fingers rest against her toes. Concentrating she dove into the water head first. She kicked her legs to come up again. Looking at Coach Pakku for confirmation, she began to swim t the edge. Arriving there she hoisted herself up and sat down with her legs still in the water. She watched the others dive in, come up and join her.

"All right" Coach Pakku said when everyone had taken their turn. "You are free to hit the showers. At the end of the day I will hang a list of who made the team on the notice board near the head entrance. My decision will be final, but if you want to discuss it, you can find me in the teachers' lounge" with that, Coach Pakku headed for the exit to collect the group of freshmen.

In the locker room the ambiance was pleasant. The teammates weren't overly concerned about their spot on the team. They had made the team last year and only had gotten better since then. So why wouldn't they have made it this time around?

It turned from pleasant to excited tension when Keiko brought up the matter of captainship again. "So… who of us has the best shot of becoming captain you think?" she addressed the room at large. A couple of suggestions were made, but they all were evenly matched. Katara didn't say much, lost in thought as she was. _What if Yue was right? Am I really the best swimmer on the team? But what does Coach Pakku think? Do I even want to be captain? Would I be able to handle the pressure?_

"Hey Katara, you ok?" Rika asked. "You've been sitting there, staring in the distance. You'd better hurry, school starts in ten minutes"

"Eh, yeah. I'm fine. Just lost in thought" Katara replied as she started packing her sports bag. Opening her locker she took out her mother necklace, put it on and grabbed her shoulder bag. She stuffed her sports bag in the locker and closed it. She looked at her schedule. "Anyone going to Spanish?" when there was no affirmative reply she said her goodbyes and headed out of the locker room.

At the end of the day there hung a list of this year's swimming team on the notice board.

**St. Clamence High School Swimmingteam**

1. Altone, Moria (senior)

2. Chong, Lily (sophomore)

3. Gan Jin, Zhang (freshman)

4. Hakoda, Katara (sophomore) Captain

5. Kon, Valka (freshman)

6. Oyaji, Koko (junior)

7. Siera, Ta Min (senior)

8. Song, Rika (sophomore)

9. Umari, Keiko (junior)

10. Worki, Leean (freshman)

**A/N:** Soooo, I've nearly killed myself over this chapter. It was so frustrating writing it, but I think it came out pretty good in the end. Please R&R to let me know what you think of it (even if you think it sucks, but if that's the case, please tell me gently ;D) I am writing my ass off over here, to update as soon as possible.


	3. Chapter 3 - Advice

**A/N:** So, here chapter three. I had a lot of fun writing this one. Ow I forgot the disclaimer the first to chapters... so here it is now: I do not own the characters of Avatar the Last Airbender. (Even though I wish I could have come up with such amazing character...) Anyway, enjoy chapter three.

Zuko was sitting behind his desk staring at his computer screen. He had started up his email program and had begun to write an email to the Painted Lady. That was five days ago. Why was it so hard to write a simple email, asking for advice from a friend? _Because she is a girl and she might not like it if I ask her about another girl._ Zuko thought dejectedly. _Normally, as a guy, I would talk to other guys about girls._ But the only guys he would consider fit for the job were Jet, Haru, his father, or his uncle Iroh. Jet was scratched from the list for obvious reasons. The girl in question was the guy's own girlfriend. Besides, Jet couldn't keep his mouth shut if his life depended on it. Haru would keep his mouth shut, but Zuko had a feeling that Haru had a thing for Katara as well. So no help there. Then there was his father. Zuko snorted. _Why would I even think of him possibly helping me? He would give me the exact opposite advice, just for the hell of it._ He and his father didn't exactly see eye to eye. It was thanks to his father that people now stared at his face every time he walked by.

Covering his face with his hands he thought back to that fateful day when he got his scar.

~~5 years ago~~

_It was another sunny day on Ember Island. The Ozai family had arrived the day before, and were now making plans to go on a hiking trip. The twelve-year-old Azula simply refused to go. Hiking wasn't her 'thing', as she put it. She would much rather spend her day on the beach, where she could look at the sexy surfers who happened to come by her. So it was decided that it would be a guys only trip. Consisting of Mr. Ozai, Zuko and Uncle Iroh. It was clear from the start that Mr. Ozai wasn't in the mood for social chit-chat with either his son, or his brother. So Zuko and Iroh let him lead the way, while they commented on the beauty of the nature surrounding them to each other. All of them were heavily loaded with backpacks containing a tent, air mattress and pump and a sleeping bag. It was planned that they would spend the night in the great outdoors, like real men._

"_Look Zuko!" Iroh pointed at a white flower with red stripes on the inside of the petals. "That is the famous white dragon bush! You can make tea from it so delicious, it's heartbreaking"_

"_But Uncle, I thought that the white dragon bush produced red flowers, with white inside the petals. This flower is the exact opposite" Zuko pointed out._

_Iroh, who had stretched out his hand towards the flower, quickly retracted it. "You're right Zuko! How could I forget that? Than this must be the white jade bush, which is deadly poisonous!" he gave the flower a wide birth. Putting his hand on his nephew's shoulder, he thanked him._

_The two of them were now a way behind Mr. Ozai, who had just kept walking. They sped up and soon the group was together again._

_When noon came around they sat down to eat homemade cheese sandwiches. Zuko was the first to finish his sandwich. "I'm gonna check out that rock formation" he pointed to a group of rocks that rose unevenly from the ground. Looking at his father for permission, he saw the disinterested look on his father's face. It was clear that his father didn't give a whit. Zuko looked at his uncle instead._

_Iroh had also seen the look on his brother's face. Time and time again Iroh was amazed at the way his brother treated his own son, like he didn't care if Zuko was ok. He turned away from his brother and nodded to Zuko in approval. "Have fun, but be careful"_

_Zuko smiled and was gone._

_Iroh cast a glance at his brother, but that one was looking at the ground. "You should really take more interest in your son's life. Do you know that you're hurting him with your unloving attitude?" Iroh reprimanded his brother._

"_He deserves it" was all what Mr. Ozai said._

_Iroh was shocked, how could a child deserve an unloving parent? Especially Zuko, who was in a difficult age, needed the love and guidance from his father. He had already lost his mother three years prior to a bout of pneumonia. It had been so fast. One day Ursa was healthy and smiling, the next day she had a cough. When it persisted into the following week she decided to visit a doctor. The doctor had said it would go over, but two days later she died. It had left the entire family in disarray. It was even harder for Zuko, who had loved his mother more than anyone._

"_Why would you say something like that?" Iroh asked wide eyed._

_Mr. Ozai sent his brother a frigid look. "He took Ursa away from me" there was absolutely no emotion on his face._

"_Brother, she had severe pneumonia, she was sick, even though it was for a short time. How could you think Zuko had anything to do with it? Much less be at fault? He loved his mother!"_

"_Yes, she was sick! Yes, she had pneumonia! But it was Zuko who came home one day with a cough! If it wasn't for him, Ursa would still be with us, with me. If only fate could have decided to take Zuko's life instead of hers! Even now I still want retribution from him. So no, brother mine, I do not love him, and in my eyes he deserves to be treated as I treat him"_

_Iroh gaped at him, unable to believe his own ears. Surely he had heard all that wrong. But the look on his brother's face told him Mr. Ozai was completely serious. There was no doubt whatsoever that Zuko could never find love with his father. Iroh made a silent vow to himself. _ I will love Zuko as I loved Lu Ten, as if he is my own son, not just my nephew. I will be there for him if his father isn't.

_Both men were involved in their own thoughts when Zuko returned. He was running towards them with a look of wonder on his young, smiling face._

"_Look what I found!" he held out his hand for his father to see, but that one didn't even acknowledged his son's presence. Zuko's face fell. Iroh cast a furious glance at his brother._

"_Let me see what you've got there my nephew"_

_Zuko turned to his uncle and held out his hand. "Look! It's some sort of crab creature"_

_In his hand was a tiny horizontally-striped black-and-white shell. At the opening you could see the creature's white legs and pair of brown scissors. As time progressed, and Zuko held his hand still, the creature came out of the shell to inspect the environment. It's beady black eyes extended on some antennas. _

"_Zuko, that is a hermit crab. It is born without the shell, but once he finds it, he will never leave it again. He just takes it with him, wherever he goes. Very smart creatures." Iroh said as he studied the crab._

_Together they watched the crab scurry around Zuko's hand, trying to escape this unknown landscape. They were deeply engrossed and didn't notice at first that Mr. Ozai started packing his bag and lifting it upon his back. Only when he stepped out, Zuko noticed that his father wanted to move on._

"_Dad, wait up!"_

_Without acknowledging his son, Mr. Ozai walked on. Zuko had tears in his eyes as he watched his father's back move away. Iroh laid a consoling hand on his nephew's shoulder._

"_Don't mind him, he's having an off day" Iroh tried to give him solace._

_Zuko snorted in derision. "More like an off three years. Ever since Mom died, he has acted like he hates me. Like he blames me or something"_

_There was nothing Iroh could say to negate Zuko's statement. It was the exact truth. Iroh was amazed that Zuko was so astute to have noticed the change in his father's behavior. _Either that, or my brother doesn't make a secret of his hatred for his son._ Iroh thought._

_When his uncle didn't say anything to deny what he had said, Zuko let out a harsh laugh. "That's it exactly, isn't it? He hates me and blames me for Mom's death"_

"_Zuko, don't worry about it. Your father loved your mother very much, he just misses her. But time will heal all wounds, and after some time has elapsed, he will see you as the wonderful son you are"_

_Zuko just looked at the ground with a sad look on his face._

"_Come, let us pack our bags and go after your father, before he gets himself lost" Iroh tried to lighten the mood. It worked, for a small smile played upon Zuko's lips as he let the hermit crab scurry on the ground and started packing his bag. Together they set out after Mr. Ozai._

_Just before sunset they set up camp. Each of them had their own tent. Zuko and Iroh helped each other out. Zuko knew which tent pole belonged in which hole, and which clips were supposed to be clipped together, while Iroh handled the hammer and drove the pegs deep in the ground, thus securing the tent. They kept up a cheerful conversation about what they had seen on their hike that day, and speculating if the next day would be just as filled with beautiful sights. Meanwhile, Mr. Ozai worked on his own tent in silence, giving no sign whether he was listening to them._

"_Well" Iroh said, "we haven't as of yet seen the waterfalls"_

"_Oh yeah, I've read about those! They're said to be the most beautiful sight on the island. Have you seen them Uncle?" Zuko asked._

"_Yes, I have, years ago on my honeymoon. The waterfalls are truly magnificent, when you see them, they will take your breath away"_

_While they finished setting up their tents, Mr. Ozai walked off with a muttered "gathering wood for campfire…"_

_Zuko scouted the surroundings for larger rocks to make the fire pit. Iroh took out his cooking supplies and started preparing the food which didn't need a fire, like dicing the vegetables. When Zuko had constructed the fire pit, he helped Iroh with the food. Just when they were finished, Mr. Ozai returned with his arms full of branches. He dumped them in the fire pit and in no time had started a fire. Sometime later they were eating warm vegetable soup with chunks of bread. The night had fallen, and the only thing giving them light to see by was the campfire._

_Soon Zuko became restless/ There was so much unsaid between his father and himself. But his father didn't seem bothered by this huge elephant in the room. Zuko however, was._

"_Ehm… dad?" Zuko asked carefully._

_There was no reaction, so Zuko tried again. "Dad. Do you hate me?" it was a very blunt question, but Zuko had to know._

_For what seemed for the first time in a very long time, Mr. Ozai looked at his son. "Yes" was all he said._

"_Why?"_

"_Because you are a pathetic excuse for a son" Mr. Ozai answered._

_Zuko was taken aback. What could he say to that?_

"_Brother, how could you say something like that? Zuko is a good human being and a great son. I would be honored If he was mine" Iroh cut in, abashed by his brother's bluntness._

"_Then why don't you adopt him? I don't want him" Mr. Ozai stated, causing his son's eyes to tear up._

"_See what I mean? He can't even stop his tears when someone says something he doesn't want to hear!"_

"_What you said wasn't just 'something I don't want to hear', what you said was cruel" Zuko said through his tears._

"_Don't talk to your father like that!" Mr. Ozai said tersely._

"_You just said you don't want me as your son!" Zuko countered._

"_Enough! I will not tolerate this from you. Yes, I said I don't want you, but I am still your father, and you will do as I say!" during his speech he had stood up and was now towering over the campfire. The light of the fire cast strange shadows across his form, making him look even angrier._

"_No!" Zuko was just as angry. "You are not my father! A father is supposed to love his children unconditionally, no matter what happens! You hate me? Well, I hate you too!" Zuko shouted at his father._

_What happened next, went by so fast that Zuko couldn't do anything to prevent it._

_Mr. Ozai bent down and grabbed a thick branch that was only half in the fire. Picking it up he swung it in Zuko's direction. Zuko's eyes widened as he saw the flaming branch approach. The next moment he could only feel the excruciating pain as the fire burned away the left side of his face. He could vaguely hear his uncle screaming, or was he screaming himself? Oblivion from the pain beckoned, and thankfully Zuko let himself slip into unconsciousness._

_When he woke up he was in a soft bed, in a white room. But he couldn't see any depth in the room. What was wrong? What had happened? The last thing he remembered was asking his father if that one hated him. Slowly the events that had followed that question came back to him. His hand flew to the left side of his face. It was covered in bandages. Had his father really burned him? Would he ever be able to see with his left eye again? Would the burns that undoubtedly marked the left side of his face ever heal and vanish? These questions kept spinning around in his head. Suddenly the door opened and his father walked into the room._

"_Dad?" Zuko was still not sure if his memories were truly real._

"_Zuko" his father sat down on the chair next to the hospital bed and took Zuko's hand in his. "I am so sorry for what I did…"_

"_You burned my face" Zuko cut him off. He looked at his father's face, hoping to see that was not what had happened._

_Mr. Ozai's shoulders stooped down. "To my greatest regret… I did. I was so very angry with everyone, I just couldn't control my impulses. I have never been so sorry as I am now. Will you please forgive me? I promise that from now on, I will be a better father"_

_Zuko had kept looking at his father's face. He could only see deep regret and real sincerity._ He burned my face… He shows regret, and promises to be a better father! But he burned my face…_ His thoughts battled with each other._

"_Zuko, will you please forgive me? When you come home everything will be different"_

"_Yes father, I forgive you" was all Zuko said._

Lifting his face from his hands, Zuko looked at the computer screen again. The days following his 'accident' had been hectic. His father had kept his promise, and slowly they had mended their relationship. But it had never returned to the way it had been before Ursa's death. Now father and son lived together without fighting, but also without talking.

Zuko's eye fell on the clock.

"Shit!" he exclaimed as he saw how late it was. If he didn't hurry he would be late for work. He was waiter at his uncle's teahouse the Jasmine Dragon. Hurriedly he pulled out his uniform from the back of his closet and put it on. The uniform consisted of a pair of black pants, a white button up shirt with the Jasmine Dragon logo on the back and a light yellow-ish green apron with a big pocket in the front. When he had put on the shirt, he folded the apron over his arm and made his way downstairs. Neither his sister, nor his father were home. Azula was probably at the mall with Mai and Ty lee, but where his father was he didn't know and frankly, didn't care.

Taking his car keys from the key cabinet, he went into the garage and got in his car. Pressing a button on the garage door remote he made the doors open themselves. He started the engine and drove away, making sure that the garage doors closed behind him.

Fifteen minutes later he parked his car in the parking lot behind the Jasmine Dragon.

His uncle had opened the Jasmine Dragon two years ago, and Zuko had worked there since the very first day of business. Iroh lived in the spacious apartment above the teahouse, so he always knew if there was something going on inside. When Zuko walked into the building he was greeted by his uncle who was preparing the different kinds of tea one could order at the Jasmine Dragon. Putting on the apron and tying the string behind his back, Zuko walked into the area where the customers were sitting at nicely decorated tables. Each table was covered with a tablecloth the same color as Zuko's apron and held a small vase with a flower in it. Next to the flower was the menu. None of the tables held an ashtray upon it. It was Iroh's subtle way of letting people know that they weren't allowed to smoke inside the teahouse.

As Zuko finished tying the string, a girl walked in and sat down at a corner table where she was facing the bar. She picked up the menu and scanned what was writing on it. After a while she put down the menu and looked up at Zuko. Zuko took this as his queue and made his way to her table.

"Hello, welcome to the Jasmine Dragon, have you decided what you would like to order?" he took his order booklet out of the pocket of his apron and got the pen from behind his ear. He looked at the girl expectantly, letting his pen hover over the paper.

"Yes, I would like to have a cup of Turkish Apple tea and a chocolate muffin" she smiled up at him.

He wrote down the order. "Your order will be ready in a couple of minutes" he walked to the bar and told his uncle the order. Iroh didn't need notes to remember what his customers had ordered, he just knew. While they waited for the water to boil, Zuko turned to his uncle.

"Uncle? Can I ask you something?"

Iroh turned towards the cup Zuko had prepared for the girl in the corner with a kettle of boiling water in his hands. Concentrating on pouring the hot water in the cup, Iroh cast a glance at his nephew. "You know you can ask me anything Zuko. What's on your mind?"

"One minute" Zuko took the tray with Turkish Apple tea and a chocolate muffin from the bar. He walked towards the corner table and put the cup with saucer down on the table, the muffin and a small pastry fork followed.

"There you go. If there is anything else, please let me know" It was just what he said to any other customer, but it caused the girl to smile, as if he just told her a very funny joke.

"I sure will" she said.

Turning around, Zuko wanted to make his way back to the bar but was stopped by a customer who raised his hand. Walking over, Zuko asked, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"I would like the check please" the man said.

"Coming right up" Zuko walked to the cash register and punched in the table number. The register spit out the check and picking it up, Zuko put it in a black leather folder. Stepping behind the bar he retrieved a small dish and put some peppermints in it. Setting both items on a tray he made his way back to the man, who checked the bill and counted the right amount of money and gave it to Zuko.

"Thank you for visiting the Jasmine Dragon, please come again" Zuko said as farewell. When the man and his companion made their way out of the teahouse, Zuko picked up the dirty dishes, put them on the tray with the folder and made his way to the kitchen where he dumped them in the dishwasher. When he came back to the front of the teahouse, he saw that two more tables were now occupied by new customers. Heaving an inner sigh he went to the customers to take their orders, it would be a while before he could ask his uncle for advice.

The afternoon went by quickly, with taking orders from customers, preparing tea and receiving several tips for his serving. When the last customer left Zuko collected the dirty dishes, put them in the dishwasher and turned it on. While Iroh was locking the front door Zuko made a round around the teahouse checking tables and tablecloths. He found two tables which needed a clean tablecloth. He put the vase and flower and menu on another table and took the dirty tablecloth from the table, repeating this process with the other table with the dirty tablecloth, he walked to the linen closet. There he dumped the tablecloths in the hamper and retrieved two clean cloths. When he walked out, he saw his uncle holding out his hand for one of the cloths. They remade the tables and in no time the job was finished.

"So what did you want to ask me?" Iroh asked his nephew.

"I need your advice Uncle" somehow it was very easy to ask his uncle. He had sat behind his computer for the past few days, trying to compose an email asking a good friend for advice. But the right words just wouldn't come out. Now it seemed so easy and natural, he didn't even think about the words at all.

"Ah, I am good at giving advice. But advice about what do you need?"

"Advice about girls" Zuko answered his uncle's question.

"Hmm… Let me guess, there is a girl you like, but for some reason you think she doesn't like you. Well, I'll tell you, if she doesn't like you, she doesn't deserve you. Keep that in mind…" Iroh would have kept talking but Zuko cut him off.

"Not exactly. There is a girl that I like" Zuko had no difficulty summoning an image of Katara to his mind's eye. "She is the most beautiful girl I've ever met, but she already has a boyfriend…" Zuko trailed off.

"Does she love him?" Iroh asked.

"I don't know. I mean, I think so… Why else would she stay with him?" Zuko countered with a question.

"Do you think she is happy with him?"

At this Zuko had to think. Was Katara happy with Jet? She certainly smiled a lot, but she had done that even before she had started dating Jet. "I think so" Zuko said hesitantly.

"Could you make her as happy as he can?" Iroh kept asking.

"I don't know! I want to make her happy! But what's up with the interrogation? I asked for advice" Zuko looked his uncle straight in the eyes.

Iroh sighed. "If you are certain of your love for her and are absolutely sure you can make her happy, then you should tell her. But only if you're absolutely sure. For if you tell her, you will put her in an awkward position. Don't put her in that position unless you are.."

"absolutely sure" Zuko finished.

Iroh put a comforting hand on his nephew's shoulder. "Love is like an experiment. When two hearts join, there is no knowing what the outcome will be. And yet like a scientist devoted to truth and knowledge, lovers thrill in the act of the experiment regardless of the result. As in science there is no 'wrong result'. Quite the opposite, the most awesome results are the very ones we least expect."

Zuko stared at his uncle, not able to understand what the experiment metaphor about love meant. He was about to ask for clarification when he felt his phone vibrate in his pants pocket. Looking at the caller id, he saw that it was his sister. He clicked on 'pick up' and put the phone to his ear.

"Azula, what's up?"

"Lo said dinner's in twenty" Azula said and hung up.

Zuko sighed. He was used to Azula's abruptness and had seized to care a long time ago.

"I have to go, or Lo will be mad at me for being late for dinner" Zuko told his uncle.

"Ah Lo" Iroh said in a dreamy voice. "She still cooks dinners? If only I had a woman like that for myself"

On his way home, Zuko mulled over what his uncle had said. _ Do I love Katara? No… but I like her a lot, even though I don't know her very well. Can I make her happy? I would do everything in my power to make her happy. Would she want to be seen with someone like me?_ To that he had no answer. There were a lot of people who went out of their ways to prevent being seen with him. But was Katara one of those people? He drove into the garage at his home and noticed that his father's car was parked in the garage as well. _So he's home for dinner for a change._ Zuko stepped out of his car and made his way to the dining room. He was just in time and quickly sat down as Lo was scooping food on the plates. Dinner went by in silence since no one felt the need to talk. After the three course dinner that consisted of tomato soup as entrée, steak, backed potatoes and green beans as main course and home backed apple pie as desert, Zuko made his way to his room.

He fired up his computer and started his email program.

**From: **TheBlueSpirit21

**To:** PaintedLady362

**Subject:** NEED ADVICE!

**Time:** 7.24 P.M.

Hi Painted Lady,

As I consider you a friend, I would like to ask your advice…

You might have surmised from my previous emails to you that I am a guy.

Well, me being a guy, means I have guy problems. Like girl trouble.

And since you're a girl I thought that maybe you might be able to help me…(don't worry, I'm not asking you to explain the girl's psyche to me, because I am sure I won't understand anyway :P)

No, you see, I really like a girl that goes to the same school as me, and while I don't really know her personally, I feel myself somehow drawn to her and I'd like to be more than friends with her. But the fact that I don't know her that well isn't my biggest problem, because…

She has a boyfriend.

With you understanding girl better than I do, I was hoping you could give me advice.

What would you do if you were me?

The Blue Spirit

Zuko reread his email and satisfied with his writing he hit the 'send' button. He checked the clock. Almost half past seven. _ She's probably still eating dinner._ He sighed it would be a while before she responded. Walking over to his bed he plopped down and grabbed the tv remote. He zapped mindlessly through the channels without any particular interest. Suddenly there was a load ping from his computer signaling an incoming email. He quickly got up and saw that it was from the Painted Lady.

**From:** PaintedLady362

**To:** TheBlueSpirit21

**Subject:** Hold your horses! Advice is here

**Time:** 7.56 P.M.

Hey Blue Spirit,

Easy there, the Painted Lady is her with awesome advice specially made for you.

But first: I'm glad you consider me a friend. Needless to say, I consider you a friend as well :P

And yes, I figured you were a guy… (no girl would worry about her little sister's attire, but would probably want to borrow it or something)

I'm also glad that you are not asking me to explain a girl's psyche, because honestly, I wouldn't know where to begin and this would then be the world's longest email EVER.

So you like a girl at school? But don't know her… (if you don't know her, how do you know you like her?)

Anyway, first of all: GET TO KNOW HER! If she turns out to be a bitch or something, than you can leave her alone, without her being aware of your feelings.

If it turns out your gut feeling told you the truth and you really like her, then you should tell her. Even if she has a boyfriend (seriously, a girl doesn't mind to be told that a guy is in to her.)

After that it's up to her, whether she lets you down, or makes you happy.

But if she lets you down, don't go acting like a jerk, take it like a man!

It really all hangs on her reaction…

If you need more advice, I'm here for you. (you do realize this works both ways right? If I need your advice I expect a serious answer as well)

Grtz

Painted Lady

**A/N:** I hope you liked it! let me know by writing a review, those realy keep my going. I already have a pretty clear view of how the next chapter will work out. And there will be an appearance of one of my favorite characters of all time! I hope to update soon, but please be patient with me.


	4. Chapter 4 - Foodfight

**A/N:** So here is chapter 4. I had a lot of fun writing this one, and I hope you have as much fun reading it. Enjoy

It was another very early morning for Sokka on Thursday, the second week of school. Once again, Katara was pounding on his bedroom door.

"Come on Sokka! Get up! I'm gonna be late thanks to you"

Sokka just grumbled and pulled his pillow over his head.

"I've made you breakfast" Katara tried the magic words. But even that didn't have the desired effect. Sokka had stayed up late the night before, too engrossed in his brand new computer game. Katara had had enough and opened the door to her brother's room. She was met by a sight that made her stomach turn. Dirty clothes were scattered on every surface in the room, interspersed with empty food wrappings from candy bars and bags that at one point in time had contained chips. Carefully picking her way through the mess, she crossed the room to the bed. Once she had made it through safely she picked the pillow that covered her brother's head and yanked the blankets away. She immediately wished she hadn't done that last part. Sokka only wore briefs. Dirty briefs. Not a sight Katara had wanted to see on the early morning. Or any time for that matter.

"Sokka, you can get up right this minute, get dressed and drive me to school, or you can stay in bed and then I'll just take your car and drive to school myself!" Katara threatened.

That was enough inducement for Sokka to rouse himself. "You will not drive Carsie! You are to insensitive for her"

"Well than, get dressed and take me to school! I don't want to be late for swimming practice" Katara turned and walked out of the room. She had already packed her bags and eaten her breakfast. She went into the bathroom and checked her reflection in the mirror while she brushed her teeth. She had pulled her hair back into a single ponytail at the back of her head. She didn't particularly liked this hairstyle but it was more convenient for swimming practice. _After practice I'll braid it._ She thought to herself. She finished brushing her teeth and making her way downstairs she yelled at her brother. "Sokka, I swear, if you're not ready right this moment, I'm going to drive myself to school!" she walked into the kitchen just as Sokka was swallowing his last bite of granola.

"Don't get your knickers in a twist Katara, you're gonna be right on time" Sokka grabbed his car keys and walked outside. Katara followed. While Sokka drove through traffic, Katara looked out her window. She immediately noticed it when Sokka took a wrong turn.

"Sokka? Where are you going?" she asked.

"I really need a coffee Sis. I can barely keep my eyes open"

"There is no time for coffee Sokka! I'm already late thanks to you. And I am team captain, I can't be late! And now I'm gonna be even later!" Katara screamed at her brother.

"Hey! Relax! Late is late, a couple more minutes won't matter. Besides, you wouldn't get to school at all when my eyes start drooping and we get an accident" Sokka countered as he pulled up in front of a coffee shop. Katara waited for an agonizingly long time in the car as her brother bought his double espresso. When Sokka finally got back in the car he occasionally sipped his coffee as he drove to school. Finally they arrived at school and Katara got out of the car and ran off in the direction of the girl's locker room.

Unbeknown to Katara, an almost similar scene had taken place in the Ozai residence.

Without bothering to knock, Azula threw her brother's bedroom door wide open.

"Get up Zu-zu, you have to drive me to school. Cheerleading practice starts in an hour" she stated while her eyes scanned the room.

Sleepily, Zuko lifted his head from his pillow. He looked at the clock on his bedside table. _Well, at least she gives me time to wake up._

"I said, get up! I am head cheerleader, I don't do late" Azula said as she inspected her perfectly veiled nails.

"You can also get your own drivers license and then you wouldn't have to depend on me to chauffeur you around" Zuko said as he got out of bed and made his way to the bathroom. Just before he closed the door he heard his sister's comment.

"Yes, I could. But why would I? I have you"

Zuko rolled his eyes and got under the shower. When he was clean he shaved his whiskers away and did his hair in front of the mirror. He hadn't changed his hairstyle in years, and with practiced moves he brought his hair in the messy coupe he always wore. He walked back to his bedroom and selected an outfit for the day. He went for his favorite dark blue jeans with black converse shoes. He put on a white button-up shirt where he folded the sleeves back to just below his elbows. Over it he wore a dark red sleeveless vest. When he was dressed he went downstairs and sat on one of the stools at the breakfast bar in the kitchen. Lo set a plate of scrambled eggs down in front of him.

"Thank you, Lo" he said before he attacked the eggs.

Two minutes later Azula walked into the kitchen with her cheerleader outfit on. The red-and-white pleated skirt reached up to mid-thigh and under the same colored tank top her belly button was showing. The same went for the gold belly button piercing with a little blood red heart. Zuko had given up trying to influence his sister in her choice of clothes, but he still had to grit his teeth to keep from commenting.

As Azula sat down on the stool next to him, Lo put down a bowl of granola in front of her. Azula eyed it in distaste. "I would rather have pancakes for breakfast Lo"

"If you want pancakes, you will be late for cheerleading training dear" Lo was one of the few people alive who dared to talk back to Azula. Zuko watched his sister purse her lips and on second thought, pick up her spoon and started eating her granola. Lo gave a stiff nod. When his plate was empty, Lo took it from the breakfast bar and set it down with the other dirty dishes near the sink. After Azula finished her breakfast as well, they both got up and made their ways to the garage.

"Have a good day at school" Lo called after them.

Zuko raised his hand in thanks and kept walking. He got in his car and Azula got in the seat next to him. She immediately turned on the radio to her favorite station and turned up the volume. It was her own subtle way if letting him know she wasn't interested in conversation. Zuko didn't care. He had his own thoughts to keep him busy.

Ever since he read the Painted Lady's advice he had tried to come up with a way of how to talk to Katara. His first thought had been to just go to her and start a casual conversation. But what would they talk about? The fact that he spoke to her at all? He wasn't ready to explain that just yet. _ What then?_ Accidentally bump into her and apologize, thus creating a perfect excuse to talk to her. Or slipping an anonymous note in her bag, asking her to meet him somewhere? But would she come? At least then they wouldn't have any eavesdroppers around. But if she came, then what? It was just postponing the execution. So nearly a week later, he still hadn't approached Katara. He drove into the school parking lot and parked his car. Both he and his sister got out of his car and started walking towards the school building.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a flurry of blue collided with Azula. Azula fell against Zuko and out of reflex he caught her. The flurry of blue, which turned out to be a girl, was less fortunate. From the force of collision, she was thrown back and landed on her butt on the pavement.

Both brother and sister recognized the other girl simultaneously, but their reactions were vastly different.

"You peasant! Can't you use your eyes? I am walking here!" Azula spat out and with a huff she walked off.

Katara stared after her with a murderous look on her face. She struggled to get up as a pale hand hovered in her range of vision. She looked up into a pair of concerned golden eyes.

"Need a hand?" Zuko asked. "I apologize for my sister. But you should really watch where you're going"

Katara grumbled as she took his hand, noting the warmth it radiated, and was pulled to her feet. "I was, you just came from behind a car, so in my haste I didn't see you" Katara rubbed her hands over her abused behind, making Zuko fight to keep his eyes on her face.

"Well, I better get going. I'm already late"

"For swimming practice. You're team captain right?" Zuko said.

"Yeah… how did you know that?" she asked.

"I can read. It was on the list last week. You know, on the notice board?"

"Of course I know that! I just didn't think you'd be interested in it…" she trailed off, looking at him inquiringly.

_Yeah Zuko, why are you interested?_ Ignoring his thoughts he shrugged. "It just caught my eye"

Katara would have asked him further, but she was really running late. "I have to go. Thanks for the help" with that she ran away.

"Any time" Zuko murmured to himself as he watched her disappear. After she was gone he walked into the school building and to the arts and crafts classroom.

As a kid he had found out that he was pretty handy with a brush and paints. Drawing also had seemed to come easy to him. So when he first went to high school he had decided to pursue his talent. Now he was in his last year and secretly he hoped to get into art school the following year.

He looked at the painting he was currently working on. It depicted a family. Or rather, his family, before his mother had died. Every single member of the family seemed happy, and warm love seemed to radiate from the canvas. It was Zuko's intention to, when this painting was finished, paint another one of what his family looked like now. The difference between the two paintings would be immense. He tied a white painting apron over his clothes and started with the finishing touches of his father's face.

When the final bell before lunch rang that afternoon, Katara packed her bag, and together with Suki made her way out of class.

"I've just got to go to my locker, I have to put some books away. I'll see you in the cafeteria" she said to her friend. "Save me a seat, will you?"

"Sure thing Katara. See you in a few" Suki walked in the other direction.

Katara went to her locker and changed her books. She just slammed the door of her locker closed when she heard someone call her name.

"Hey Katara!" it was Aang.

"Oh, hi Aang" she said with very little enthusiasm. Ever since their first meeting in the cafeteria two weeks ago, he had made a habit of following her around at school.

"What a coincidence that I see you here!" Aang said with a big smile on his face.

"Really Aang? I mean, you know this is my locker right?" she pointed to the locker in question.

Aang blushed slightly. "Ehm… yeah. I guess it's not so much of a coincidence after all" This caused Katara to roll her eyes, albeit in a way that Aang didn't see it.

"So… you on your way to the cafeteria?" Aang asked.

"It's lunchtime isn't it? Where else would I go?" Katara started walking.

"Good point, good point" Aang murmured. "Hey! I come with you! I'm going there as well" he followed her down the hall.

Katara groaned on the inside as he came to walk next to her, keeping up an unrelenting stream of observations, conjectures and questions.

"I really find this a very good school. You know, as schools go of course. Although I haven't met everyone yet. I mean, that would be impossible, I've only been here two weeks. I bet even you don't know everyone who walks around here. Do you? It doesn't really matter though, I bet everyone knows you. You are swim team captain and you're pretty. Everyone would want to know you and be your friend. Makes me glad to think we're friends. You do think we're friends right? I certainly do. Man, I'm starving. What are they serving in the cafeteria today? I hope it's better than yesterday. I mean, all-meat-Wednesday? Come on, that's not fair for all the vegetarians among us. I myself for example am a vegetarian. I don't kill little helpless animals just for food we don't need. So I really hope today will be a vegetarian menu. Do you know what they serve today?"

From the first Katara tuned him out. She really wasn't interested in what he had to say and if she was honest with herself she found it rather annoying Aang followed her around like a little lost puppy. She looked straight ahead and saw Zuko near the cafeteria entrance. He was looking at her. She smiled at him. _Why am I smiling at Zuko?_ He seemed just as surprised at her actions as she was, but smiled back at her. _Wow! He looks really hot when he smiles, he should smile more often. Why am I even thinking of him? I have a boyfriend?_ She was pulled out of her private world when Aang put his hand on her arm. It felt so alien, she immediately pulled her arm away as she looked at Aang.

"What?"

"I asked if you knew what they are serving in the cafeteria today" Aang repeated his question.

"Ehm… I think it is lettuce-palooza today" she answered.

"Oh good! No meat, I like that!"

"Why? Are you a vegetarian or something?" she saw Aang's face fall. Clearly he had said something along that line when he was talking to her. She mentally slapped herself.

"You ok Katara? I just said that. You've already forgotten? Maybe you should go see the nurse. I'll take you to her" now he had a concerned look on his face.

"What? Don't be ridiculous. I was only joking. I'm fine" she quickly said as they walked into the cafeteria. "I'm gonna sit with my friends. Bye Aang" she made sure he could in no way read an invitation to join her in her words. He really was annoying with his insisting chatter. And way to happy all the time.

When she got to the table where Suki sat, she saw that Jet, along with Haru were there as well. They were having a conversation whether or not a mustache would suit Haru.

"Really Haru" Jet said. "I think a mustache would look really good on a face like yours"

"What's wrong with my face?" Haru asked. "Is there something wrong with my face?" he turned to Katara and Suki.

"Your face is fine Haru" Suki said.

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with your face" Katara reassured him.

"Well actually" Jet interrupted. "Your cheeks are still a bit chubby. But don't worry, that's just baby fat and will disappear over time" he laughed at his own joke. "Hopefully at least" he added.

Haru sent him a furious look. "I don't have baby fat anymore! I'm 17! I have face hair!"

"You're right. It's not your cheeks. It's your upper lip that destroys the pretty picture that is your face"

"What!" Haru exclaimed.

At that point, Sokka joined their table and sat down next to Suki. Suki's cheeks turned pink.

"Why can't it be all-meat-Wednesday every day? I mean, lettuce-palooza? What idiot came up with that?" Sokka complained to the table at large.

"I don't know Sokka. It actually sounds like something you could come up with… It certainly sounds lame enough" Jet remarked dryly.

Sokka looked at him murderously while Jet casually laid his arm around Katara's shoulders. Suki was suddenly ceased with a fit of giggles at the look of Sokka's face.

Turning back to Haru, Jet tried to come up with ways to cover up Haru's lip.

"I'm telling you, you should grow a mustache. It will cover your lip and, as a bonus, will make you look more manly! It's the perfect solution!"

"A mustache? I don't know. My whiskers already itch when I don't shave every morning. Wouldn't a mustache be even worse? And what if it doesn't suit me after all? Then I would just look like an idiot" Haru complained.

"You're right" Jet made a show of mulling over this very great problem. "I know! There is a way to test if a mustache would suit you. A very simple one in fact. And the best part, we can try it out, right here, right now!"

Haru's brows drew together. "How?"

A sardonic grin appeared on Jet's face and without a word he grabbed the lettuce from Sokka's plate and pushed it straight into Haru's face. All the occupants of the table stared first at Jet, then at Haru.

"My food!" Sokka exclaimed.

"Dude!" Haru nearly shouted at Jet.

Katara and Suki put their hands in front of their mouths. At first in shock over Jet's action, but then they saw Haru's face and used their hands to muffle their laughter. The look on Haru's face was priceless. A mixture of surprise and fury. The bits of lettuce that clung to his face didn't help their composure either. Soon the entire table, with exception of Haru, was laughing loudly. It drew the attention of other students who sat nearby.

Haru recovered from his shock and wasn't to be outdone. He grabbed Sokka's plate and pushed its entirety in Jet's smirking face. When the plate fell to the table, the smirk had been replaced by a look of calculation. Slowly Jet stood up and took hold of his own still full plate. All the while he was looking at Haru, who was feeling less comfortable by the second.

"FOOD FIGHT!" Jet shouted through the cafeteria. He threw his plate at Haru and immediately took hold of his milk carton which flew in Sokka's direction.

Throughout the cafeteria, similar calls could now be heard and soon everyone was throwing food and drinks at each other. Katara ducked as she saw an apple coming her way and threw her own sandwich in the direction the apple had come from. From her other side an orange juice carton was heading her way and unfortunately she wasn't in time to avoid being hit. It was her good fortune however that, whoever had thrown it her way, had forgotten to open it, so she was still clean. Quickly and with an evil smile on her face, she punched a hole in it and scanned the cafeteria for her target. Her target currently had a look of pure fury on her face and was ducking everything that came her way. Katara waited until her target had her back turned and threw the now open orange juice carton with all her might and amazing accuracy. To Katara's great pleasure she hit her target and saw the carton explode against Azula's back, covering her in wet stickiness. Azula let out a shriek of rage as the carton made contact and quickly turned around to look who had dared to do this unthinkable act. Her eyes found Katara's and the smug look on the peasant's face was enough to send Azula over the edge. She grabbed the closest, throwable object and threw it at Katara. It never reached its destination, for Jet came running in its course. He was making his way towards the salad bar for more ammo for his personal fight with Haru. Once there, he grabbed hands full of lettuce, slices of tomatoes and cucumbers. He threw it all at Haru, who had followed him. Some missed their mark, others found it and Haru now resembled a walking salad. He wasn't the only one. Many people were covered with different types of food and fluids and no one was clean anymore. All the guys didn't seem to mind so much, they were having a lot of fun getting dirty. But some of the girls really didn't like all the gore in their hair and on their clothes. Some even ran away crying, covering their heads as they ran for the nearest exit. It didn't take long for someone to run to the principal's office to tell what was happening in the cafeteria.

"THIS WILL STOP RIGHT THIS MOMENT" a loud voice bellowed from the entrance of the cafeteria.

There was so much authority and menace in the voice that everyone ceased fire and looked at the entrance. There, standing in an impeccable clean black suit was St. Clamence High School's principal Mr. Ozai. Behind him stood the man who worked in the cafeteria, who had been strangely absent throughout the fight. He took a step forward, so he was in front of Mr. Ozai and scanned the entire cafeteria. His hands reached to the sides of his head and he grabbed his hands full of hair.

"NO! MY CABBAGES!"

**A/N:** Ok, I really had to put the cabbage man in it somewhere, and even though he only makes a short appearance, it is worth it! Hope you liked this chapter and please review. The more reviews, the sooner the next chapter will be up.


	5. Chapter 5 - A New Student

**A/N: **So here is chapter 5. I don't really have anything to say. Except... Enjoy!

It wasn't a very rare occurrence when a new student came to St. Clamence High School. It was rated one of the best schools of the city, and therefore a lot of parents wanted their children to go to that school. The fact that the schooling fee they had to pay was tremendous didn't seem to way up against the brilliant tutoring the students received. The children who were fortunate enough to be accepted to St. Clamence High School generally had parents with deep pockets. So naturally, every time a new student came, the gossip circuit would go in overdrive with conjectures of the new student's wealth. It was no different when Toph Beifong came as a new student. The name Beifong was well known in the city and the rumor of the insanely rich new student quickly found its way into the circuit. Wild conjectures were made about how insanely hot the girl would look. She had a lot of money to spend on designer clothes after all. She would even have enough to enhance her natural beauty to something more 'mature'. The fact that the girl in question was only 13 years old didn't seem to come into the equation.

When the real girl set a foot in school there was a big shock. The real girl didn't at all resembled her created version. Whereas the created version had been blond, long-legged and well endowed in the chest section, the reality was short, with messy black hair that hung in her face, and wearing such wide T-shirts that no estimation could be made for her breast size. At the end of the her first week all conjectures were buried deep underground. In their places, other rumors made their way through the entire school. Slightly more true, but even less believable that the first wild guesses.

It was the Monday of the fourth week since summer break when a big black car came driving on the school's parking lot. It was very new and shiny and, according to the guys, a very expensive car brand and type. All that Katara could see however, was that it was black and shiny. Haru, who was standing next to Katara, was gaping at the car.

"Hey, I think I found a place where that driver could park his car!" Katara joked, pointedly looking at Haru's open mouth.

He didn't seem to hear her as he kept staring, jaw still slack. Katara waved her hand in front of his eyes. "Hello? Haru, it's just a car"

"Just a car? Katara that is _not_ just a car! That is a Saab 9 4x. It's not even supposed to be available here. They must have had it imported" Haru stated.

"Whatever. I'm going inside. See you at lunch" she said as she turned around. She waited to hear a response from Haru, but when none came, she let out an angry huff and walked inside. _Men!_ Just as she was stepping through the doorway, someone came from inside and collided with her. She looked up to see who hadn't seen her in time, and her eyes locked with Zuko's. Suddenly she felt as if she couldn't get enough air in her lungs. He was so close! The only thing she could do was stand there, mouth agape as her eyes couldn't leave his.

"We should really stop meeting like this" his soft voice came to her ears as her eyes were drawn to his lips as he spoke.

"What?" she was too focused on his face to understand his words.

His eyes dropped to her lips as well and haltingly he repeated himself. "I said… that we should really… stop… meeting like this" he nearly whispered the word 'stop', as if he would rather leave it out. Then his face turned slightly pink and he stepped back, effectively pulling Katara out of her trance. She blinked a couple of times and tried hard to concentrate on what he had said, and not how he had said it.

"Ehm… yeah… But this time it wasn't my fault" she said.

"It wasn't really your fault the first time either. By the way, I saw how you took revenge on my sister-"

"She deserved it" Katara interrupted while her cheeks shone red at the reminder.

"I never said she didn't" Zuko reassured her. "But I would be careful if I were you. Azula doesn't forgive, she gets even. So I advise you to watch your back."

"Ehm… thanks, I will"

Both of them didn't notice it, but they were both observed by the girl who had just gotten out of her parents' car. She didn't have a clear view of Katara, but she could certainly take note of Zuko and the sparks that flew between the couple. Were they together? They should be. But whatever the relation between the two was, she had found a nickname for Zuko. It was something she did for almost everyone she met. She had first done it for her parents and when it turned out it annoyed them to no end, she had started to make a habit of it. Never would someone's real name pass her lips. Only the nickname she gave them, which were not always complementary.

"Toph darling, wait one moment!" her mother got out of the front seat and embraced her daughter. "Honey, are you sure you want to go to school here? You can come home right this moment and we'll continue your homeschooling"

"Pops!" Toph whined as she wiggled her way out of her mother's grasp. "Stop with all the mushi-gushi! I'm not 4 anymore!"

"No matter how old you are, you will always be my little darling" Poppy Beifong said as she tried to fix her daughter's appearance. If only her daughter would wear clothes that were less baggy. But no matter how many dresses she bought for her daughter, Toph refused to wear any and all of them.

In an attempt to avoid her mother's hands, Toph quickly took a step back and grabbed her bag from the car seat.

"Gotta go Pops. Don't wanna be late on my first day" she said and slammed the car door closed. She started walking to the school but was stopped by her mother.

"Just be careful dear. And if you want to come home, just give us a call and we'll be here!"

"I'll be fine Pops!" Toph said over her shoulder and resumed walking. She noticed that, thanks to her mother, she had garnered all the attention of the other students. A group of girls were snickering behind their hands, while most of the guys still stared at the now retreating car. The couple that had stood by the entrance had vanished. Taking note of everyone around her, she hoisted her bag over her shoulder and walked into the school. She ignored the looks everyone cast her way and kept her eyes front. She made her way to her first class and gave a note to the teacher Mr. Bumi.

"Well class, it seems like we have a new student today" he turned to Toph. "Why don't you introduce yourself?"

Giving the class a wide smirk, as if she knew something they didn't, she announced, "I'm Toph"

They all looked at her, expecting her to say something else but Toph remained mute.

"Ehm… Right. Why don't you sit next to Aang in the back?" Mr. Bumi said.

Toph shrugged like she didn't care and walked to her appointed table. When she dropped into the chair, Mr. Bumi started his class. The boy next to her turned around and looked at her. Without turning her eyes to him she remarked, "Something interesting you?"

"I just wanted to introduce myself, since we're neighbors and all. I'm Aang" he held out his hand for her to shake.

She ignored his hand and instead punched his shoulder. "Nice to meet you"

Rubbing the sore spot on his shoulder, Aang kept asking her questions. "So, how come you start here only now? Why not at the beginning of the year like the rest of us?"

"I was schooled somewhere else, but certain happenings occurred, and so it was decided it was best I go here" Toph said, thinking back on all the arguments and fights she had had with her parents. They were just too protective of her. When she first suggested that she go to a regular school, her parents denied her request flat out. But Toph had been persistent and searched for a good school her parents might approve of. She had found St. Clamence High School as the only school that stood a chance against her parents. She had searched for articles and reviews on the school and had presented her parents with her results. But even that wasn't enough to convince her parents. So after a major tantrum and two nights away from her parents' home, she had come back and had just gone ahead and registered herself at St. Clamence High School. With her name and her parents' credit cards, no one had asked questions. Last Friday, the final papers had been signed and she had told her parents that starting the following Monday, she was enrolled in school. There was nothing her parents could do to reverse their daughter's actions. So now, Toph was experiencing her first day of school ever.

"Certain happenings?" Aang looked at her with something akin to alarm in his eyes.

Toph smirked again. "Yep" she popped her lips as she pronounced the 'p'.

"Like what?"

"Let's just say that my parents weren't happy with what I did"

Aang's imagination ran wild. Was she kicked off her former school? How did one manage to get kicked off within a month since summer break? And her parents weren't happy with it. _She must have done something really bad._ Aang thought. Not wanting to know more, he turned his attention to Mr. Bumi.

"What's the teacher's name?" Toph broke his concentration a while later.

"Mr. Bumi" Aang answered shortly.

"More like Mr. Bushi. With his hair sticking out at all sides" Toph joked.

Aang refrained from commenting. He was astounded she was able to see anything through the hair that fell in front of her eyes, let alone take note of someone else's hair. Now he thought about it, she hadn't even looked at him when she had talked to him. At some point she had turned her head towards him, but her light eyes had never really looked at him. In his direction yes, but not _at_ him.

"Hey Toph?" Aang asked, hoping she would turn her head again.

"Yeah?"

Luck was with him, she turned her face to his. Again she was looking in his direction, but not straight in his eyes. And her eyes didn't move at all, not even the small movements, or the dilating of her pupils to adjust to the light. _Is she blind?_ But he couldn't ask something like that. Besides, she didn't act like she was blind. She didn't have a cane to aid her, or a guide dog to see for her.

"Never mind" he quickly said.

Her eyebrows drew together in a frown, but she turned back to Mr. Bumi.

Whatever was going on with Toph, Aang was slightly nervous to get to know her better. He just hoped she wouldn't ask him for a tour of the school. When the bell rang signaling the end of class, he was on his feet and out of the room in seconds.

"Someone is light on his feet" Toph muttered to herself as she noticed he was gone so fast. "Nice knowing you, Twinkletoes"

When it was time for lunch, Aang walked to the cafeteria alone. He saw Katara along the way and gave her a big smile, but made no move to join her. She was currently with her boyfriend Jet. And Jet had made it pretty clear he didn't want Aang around. Aang wasn't sure he liked Jet either. The guy was way to popular with the girls, he would probably end up hurting Katara by cheating on her. Secretly Aang hoped that that would happen, not because he wanted to see Katara hurt, but because then he would be there to comfort her. As he walked into the cafeteria he spotted his classmates and went t join their table.

"Hey guys" he greeted as he sat down.

"Hi Aang" On Ji said. "I saw that you sat next to the new girl during history. What's she like?"

"Ehm… You know, just a normal student" Aang said, looking away to avoid further questions. His strategy proved futile, his friends were all interested in the new girl.

"Come on Aang. I saw you two talking. Didn't you ask why she's here now, and not since summer break?" Shoji asked.

Heaving a deep sigh, Aang told his friends what Toph had said.

"She said she went to a different school, but due to 'certain happenings'" he made quotation marks in the air. "It was decided that she would go here instead"

"Certain happenings? What does that mean?" Shoji looked at Aang, who shrugged.

"I don't know, but she said her parents weren't happy with it"

"So she did something to get kicked off school…" On Ji said. "What do you suppose she did? It must be something really bad. How else could you be kicked off school within a month?"

"Maybe she wrecked the principal's car" Lee opted. "I mean, wreck principal Ozai's car, and you can be sure of a one way ticket home forever"

"I don't see anyone brave enough to do such a thing" Song said.

"Than what do you think she did?" Lee asked.

"I don't know! I try to stay out of trouble" Song answered.

"But seriously, what could a 13-year-old do that is so bad?" On Ji asked as she leaned forward.

They were not aware of the girl they were currently discussing, who just walked into the cafeteria. Toph spotted them immediately and walked towards their table. When she was still a way away from them, she overheard them talking.

"Oh, I know! She beat up a senior, and that girl just happened to be the principal's daughter!" a boy with messy brown hair said.

"She wouldn't do that, would she?" a girl with straight bangs and ponytail asked.

"I don't know, she's pretty strong" Aang said. "She punched me in the arm, and it was pretty painful"

"You mind if I join you guys?" Toph asked from behind them.

They all turned her way, feeling guilty of getting caught gossiping. Aang was the first to recover from his shock and kicked his classmates under the table to help them with their shocks.

"Ehm… sure Toph" he pointed to a place in between Song and Shoji. "You can sit there"

Song and Shoji slid aside to make room for Toph.

"Everyone, this is Toph. Toph, this is everyone" he pointed them out one by one and said their names. "To your right is Shoji, than Lee" he skipped himself, "On Ji and Song"

Toph didn't follow his pointing finger, but nodded at every name. What followed was an uncomfortable silence. No one knew whether Toph had heard them talking or not. On top of that, Toph just seemed to stare into space, her eyes not focusing on anything. It was a relief for all when the bell rang again and they each made their own way to class.

When Toph came to sit with them again the following days, they lost their initial uncertainties about her and included her in their group. On Wednesday their conversation turned to the crazy cafeteria guy, who seemed obsessed by the salads.

"So what's up with the salad-dude?" Toph asked her newfound friends.

"You mean Cabbage Man? He freaked out during lettuce-palooza two weeks ago" Shoji said.

"Cabbage Man? Who came up with that nickname?"

"Oh, he completely lost it when there was a food fight. He just kept screaming about his cabbages" Lee elaborated.

"There was a food fight! Seriously?!"Toph exclaimed.

"Yeah, Jet started it" On Ji said.

"Jet? Who's Jet?" Toph frowned.

"The tall guy over there" Song pointed. "He's a senior" she sighed longingly.

"Ow, you mean Pretty Boy"

"Pretty Boy?" Aang, Shoji and Lee said simultaneous.

"Yeah, he has every girl hanging on his every word" Toph explained her nickname.

"You give everyone nicknames don't you?" Aang asked.

"Yes Twinkletoes, I do. Got a problem with that?" Toph asked menacingly.

"Ehm… No, of course not" he said quickly.

"So who's Sugar Queen who's hanging on Pretty Boy's arm right now?"

They all looked at Jet and saw Katara holding his arm and smiling up at him. He bend his head and kissed her on the lips. When he lifted his head a considerable time later, he gave her a sexy smirk and she leaned her head on his shoulder as she turned back to her food.

"That's Katara, his girlfriend" Aang grumbled.

"His girlfriend?" Toph frowned. Why was Sugar Queen with Pretty Boy? She should be with Sparky.

Aang grumbled something and they all turned back to their own lunch.

"How come you call Katara 'Sugar Queen'?" Aang asked.

"because she is way too sweet, like sugar. And every boy is panting after her. Even you three" Toph remarked dryly as she indicated the three boys. "Then of course there are her boyfriend Pretty Boy, Babyface and Sparky. The only guy on this school who isn't interested in her is her brother Snoozles"

"Let me guess" On Ji said. "You caught him sleeping"

Toph nodded and grinned. "And boy does he snore!"

They all laughed and walked to class together when the bell rang.

Of course there were people who had overheard the group talking on Monday. The new rumors that Toph had wrecked a car and beaten up a senior, spread like wildfire through the school. As was the wont with rumors, everyone who told them, added their own special element to it. Toph, who had pretended not to have heard the group's initial conjectures, was in fact aware of all the wild stories. She had an ear to the ground for the ever changing views the other students had of her. She felt absolutely no need to correct them. Truth be told, she was rather proud of her new reputation. And she didn't even have to do anything to earn it. Just one misunderstood conversation with Aang, and she was the new rebel of the school. At the end of the week, people thought of her as a car wrecking, female version of the hulk, with the same anger management issues.

She thought it was amazing!

**A/N:** So I really wanted to inculde Toph in my story, and I think it worked out pretty well. Please R&R, and the update will be there much sooner.


	6. Chapter 6 - Job

**A/N:** Here is chapter 6. Enjoy!

Azula sat at her regular table in the cafeteria. Mai and Ty lee sat with her, along with some members of the cheerleading squad. But the three girls sat apart from the others. Ty lee kept up a constant chatter about everything she thought was interesting for the other two to know, which was a lot. Mai just stared at her passively, not giving a sign of listening. Azula had shut Ty lee out, she was too busy with her own thoughts. Or rather, her revenge. No one dared to mock her, Azula, daughter of the principal. And when someone, anyone, crossed that unspoken line, there would be retribution, severe retribution. It would be devastating, the victim would be completely broken when Azula was done. But Azula's style was not only cruel, it was also stealthy. She bided her time, letting her victim believe she was safe while she was anything but. So while Azula waited for the perfect moment to strike, she studied her victim, picking up on all the weak spots of her victim. So that was what Azula had been doing these past weeks. She had already planned parts of her revenge, but it wasn't as of yet good enough for Azula. Her eyes fell on the boy next to her victim. _Jet_, she thought to herself. The way her victim kept looking at him was assurance enough for Azula to consider the boy a valuable asset in her plan. The radars in her head began turning as she worked out her revenge. _Soon peasant, soon I will destroy you_.

On the other side of the cafeteria, Katara sat talking to her friends. They were discussing the pros en cons of a day job. While both Katara and Suki saw several benefits, the boys at the table only saw the drawbacks.

"Come on! What is, according to you, so bad about a job?" Suki asked, looking at Sokka.

"You have to work. That's what's so bad!" he replied.

Katara rolled her eyes. "Well, you have to work to earn money. You'll have to do it sooner or later"

"I choose later" Sokka grinned and exchanged a high five with Jet.

"So how will you get money to buy stuff?" she looked pointedly at her brother.

"I'll borrow some when I need it"

"And how will you pay back the money you loaned?" Katara kept playing Devil's advocate.

"Ehm… hadn't thought about that" Sokka stroked his chin.

Jet scoffed. "Remind me to never loan you money" h said to Sokka.

"Anyway" Suki cut in, "I think having a job is a good thing. It keeps you busy, you make some money, and, depending on the job of course, get to know new people. You know what? After school I'm going job hunting!" Suki resolved.

Katara nodded, completely agreeing with her friend. "I think I'll go with you. It's better to work that to be bored the entire Saturday"

"Clearly you're doing something wrong if you get bored on a Saturday. There are so many things you could do! Computer games, watching movies, ring a bell?" Jet asked.

Before Katara could open her mouth to reply, Sokka answered for her. "Those are completely foreign concepts for Katara. Everything not school related equals not worth her notice. Hence her boredom"

Katara sent her brother a deathly glance, which he ignored.

"Seriously, the only thing she does at home is homework. I mean, how sad is that?" he asked to all the occupants of the table.

Jet snickered behind his hand, but when he saw Katara's face, he quickly schooled his features in a neutral look. From that point on, Katara ignored both him and her brother and turned to Suki.

"So, where do you suppose we can find nice jobs?" Katara asked.

"I think the mall is a good place to start. A lot of shops where I wouldn't mind working" Suki smirked. "Besides, you can get an employee discount at some places"

"Ok, we'll start at the mall. Can we take your car after school? I'm not in the mood to let Sokka drive me" she cast another killer glance to her brother.

"Sure, we'll make it a girl's day out! I know a place where they serve the most delicious tea you have ever tasted. Although that isn't really located at the mall…" Suki trailed off. "But we have to go there anyway!" she said with a big smile on her face.

Katara couldn't help but smile for some reason and nodded. "A girl's day out it is"

Then the bell, signaling the end of lunch, rang. They each went to their own class, wondering how the afternoon would turn out.

When the final bell rang out, Katara put her books in her bag and walked to her locker. Once there, she checked her journal and dumped some books in her locker, while taking out others and put them in her bag. She just closed her locker door as Suki materialized next to her.

"Ready for the girl's day out?" Suki asked excitedly.

"You bet! Let's go" Katara grinned.

Together they walked to the parking lot and Suki's car. While Katara fiddled with the radio, Suki started the car and drove to the mall. They sang along with a song that was playing and had a fit of giggles as they were both terribly off-key. When they arrived at the mall, Suki parked in the underground garage. Katara grabbed her bag and took her books out so her bag wouldn't be too heavy. Slinging the bag over her shoulder, she made her way around the car to Suki's side. Together they walked towards the elevators and entered the mall.

What followed was an afternoon filled with laughter, jokes, shopping and semi-serious talks with shop owners. They walked past a music store and Suki pulled Katara's arm and forced her friend to follow her into the store.

"Come on, I've always wanted to work here" Suki said as they walked inside.

Katara hung back to scan the shelves covered with CD's, while Suki made her way to the counter and the guy that stood behind it. From what Katara could see of the conversation, she could with clarity ascertain that the guy wouldn't mind if Suki worked in the store. He smiled charmingly at her and winked. Katara couldn't see Suki's face, but she was willing to bet her friend was blushing ferociously. The guy hand Suki a note after writing something down on it. He smiled again and his eyes went over her form as Suki turned around. As Katara had suspected, her friend was a delicate shade of red. Together they made their way out of the store and walked away. As soon as they were out of sight of the store, Suki burst into a fit of giggles.

"Did you see how hot he was?" Suki gasped for air.

"Yeah, I saw. By the way, I think he saw you too" Katara told her friend. "So what's n the paper?" she pointed to the card Suki was still holding.

It turned out to be a card from the store itself, with an address, phone number and website. On the back of the card they guy had scribbled another phone number with a winking smiley under it.

"Oh, my, god! What did he say to you? What did you say to him? He totally gave you his number!" Katara nearly shrieked, gaining the attention of other shoppers.

"I didn't say anything" Suki said stunned. "Just that I was looking for a job. Then he asked me if I brought my resume with me. When I said no, he gave me the card and told me to mail a letter of application and my resume. If I had further questions, I should call the number on the back"

"He is in to you! You should call him. But not today. Tomorrow, after you wrote and sent the letter" Katara said with a smile on her face.

Suki couldn't stop smiling either.

They resumed shopping, laughing, joking and happy for the entire mall to see. But as time passed, Katara's mood took a turn for the worse. No matter how many shop owners she talked to, none of them needed another employee. She smiled politely at the owner of the pet store she was currently talking with.

"I'm sorry, but I am already overstaffed. But if you write a letter of application and send it, then I'll consider you when I am in need of extra help" the shop owner stated.

Katara smiled dejectedly and turned to leave the store.

"Come on Katara, I'm sure there is another shop where they desperately need you" Suki tried to cheer her up.

"Another shop? Suki, we've been in every shop in the mall. They don't need me. I'm too young, don't have enough experience and don't have the 'right attitude'" Katara quoted the various excuses she had heard today. "Right now, I just want to go home. I have homework to do"

Suki looked at her and relented. "All right, I'll take you home, but first we are going to drink some tea that will surely lift your spirits"

They walked to Suki's car and Suki drove them to a little teashop. When Katara got out of the car, she scanned the front of the shop. 'The Jasmine Dragon' read the front plate above the wide window. From the outside, Katara could see a couple of customers sitting at various tables.

She and Suki made their way inside and sat down at one table near the bar. Suki picked up the menu and started reading it intently. Katara scanned the interior of the Jasmine Dragon. It wasn't that big, which lent it a cozy atmosphere. The tables all looked similar with a table cloth, the menu, and a vase with a flower. It all looked very nice and welcoming.

Suki put down the menu and signaled to the man who stood behind the bar. He smiled and made his way towards them.

"Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon. Were you able to make a choice?" he asked.

"Yes" Suki replied. "We would like two cups of Liquorice Tea and two brownies"

The man nodded and walked back to the bar.

"How did you find this place?" Katara asked in wonder.

"My mom comes here all the time. Normally I wouldn't go with her since I wasn't a huge tea fan. But one day she convinced me to come with her. Best decision ever. It actually makes me want to hit myself that I didn't come with her sooner"

"This place is really nice" Katara commented.

"Hey! Maybe you can get a job here! Then you can give my discount when I come here" Suki joked.

Katara didn't think she could handle another rejection today. "Just drop it Suki. Look how small this shop is, I don't think they need extra help" Katara sighed.

"Well, we'll see about that!" Suki smiled at her in a way that made Katara's neck hair stand on end.

When the man returned to their table with their order, Suki smiled invitingly at him. "Sir, I was wandering if you needed extra help around here"

"Suki!" Katara exclaimed in shock How could her friend do this to her? She kicked Suki under the table while she spoke to the man. "Please, don't listen to my friend. She has done a lot of shopping and is very tired. Clearly she doesn't know what she is saying" she looked up and saw the man smiling down at her.

"So neither of you is interested in working here?" he asked.

"Ehm…" Katara hadn't expected this turn of events. Under the table, Suki returned the favor and kicked her hard. "I would like to work here. That is, of course, if you are actually looking for extra help" she stammered.

"Well, as you see, it is very quiet right now. But this place tends to overflow on all Saturdays. I wouldn't mind an extra pair of hands. If you like, we can discuss the possibility of you working here" he said and pointed to an empty chair. "Can I join you?"

"Of course! It would be very nice to work here" Katara smiled.

"Normally I would have a conversation like this in my office, but I don't want to leave the shop unattended"

"I understand. I wouldn't want to leave it unattended if I owned this shop"

"So, let us start by introducing ourselves. My name is Iroh, I own the Jasmine Dragon. I opened it two years ago. As you can see, it is very quiet on weekdays. But I make up for it in the weekends. I have one employee, he works every Saturday and Sunday. For a while it worked out well, but then both of us noticed that it was too busy for just two people. So I have actually been looking for someone else"

"I'm Katara Hakoda, I'm 16 and am a sophomore on St. Clamence High School. I don't really have experience in serving people, but I am willing to learn everything I can. I am also very organized and like helping people"

"Nice to meet you Katara" Iroh held out his hand.

Katara shook it. "I can say the same thing, sir"

"Please, call me Iroh" he smiled warmly.

Katara nodded. "Iroh it is"

They sat there for quite some time. Every now and then Iroh had to serve his customers, but when the customers were satisfied, he came back to continue the semi job interview. When Iroh was serving people, Katara took it upon herself to study him and the way he interacted with his customers. He was always polite and inquiring if there was something else needed. Only when he was sure his customers were content did he leave for his next task.

A new customer came through the door and took place at the table next to Suki and Katara. He scanned the menu on his table, snorted and put it down again.

"Can I help you sir? Do you know what you would like to order?" Iroh asked as he stood at the man's table.

"What can you recommend me? I would like to have a chocolate chip muffin. Which tea would go with that nicely?" the man asked.

Unconsciously Katara answered the question in her head. _ Orange tea, I would take orange tea with it_. When she looked up she saw Suki give her a this-is-your-chance-take-it!-look. On impulse Katara stood up and walked over to the next table.

"Sir, if I may?" she asked politely. "I would recommend the Orange Delight Tea. The combination of chocolate and orange may seem strange to you, but it is actually surprisingly refreshing. Whereas the chocolate is sweet, the orange is fresh, creating a flavor you won't forget soon."

The man looked at her, than at Iroh. "Who is this?"

"This is my new employee" Iroh smiled.

The man looked her over, while Katara stared at Iroh. "Very well, I'll take the Orange Delight"

"Really?!" Katara asked Iroh.

Iroh nodded and smiled. "I'll make the tea and then I'll explain"

Katara walked back to Suki and plopped down in her chair, dazed.

"What just happened?" she turned to Suki, looking for confirmation of what she just thought she had heard.

"You, my friend, just snagged yourself a job" Suki smirked.

When Iroh returned to their table he sat down and smiled at Katara. "Well, I think you will be a good asset to the Jasmine Dragon. I was already considering hiring you, but you just proved it beyond any doubt. Will you come work here?"

"Yes! Thank you! When would you like me to start?" Katara asked excited.

"This Saturday? Would that suit you?"

Katara nodded, unable to keep a big smile from her face.

After discussing the finer details of the work contract, like the pay and the hours of work, Katara and Suki left for home. When they stepped outside the Jasmine Dragon, Suki squealed and drew Katara in a suffocating hug. Katara hugged back just as fiercely and together they jumped up and down in glee.

The following Saturday, Katara woke up earlier than usual. She took a shower and washed her hair. When she was clean she got out of the shower and blow dried her hair. It was now a big fluffy mess, so Katara decided to go for two braids to keep her hair out of her face. She looked in the mirror while she braided her hair, making sure the braids were even. When she was done, the braids hung over her shoulders, resting on her breasts. She nodded to her reflection. _This will do_. She walked back to her room and took out her works clothes Iroh had given her. The pair of black pants were her own, but the white blouse had been an addition to her wardrobe. When she had put on the pants and blouse she checked the mirror. She undid the top button of her blouse so her dark blue camisole was showing slightly. It was still very proper looking and Katara was satisfied. She made her way to the kitchen downstairs and was surprised to find Gran-Gran cooking breakfast.

"Gran-Gran, you shouldn't have done this" she said as her eye fell on the fair on the kitchen table.

"Of course I should have! It is your first day of work. You must be well fed. Who knows when you'll be able to eat again?" Gran-Gran smiled at her granddaughter.

Katara laughed at the joke. "I get break Gran-Gran. I can eat than" but she sat down anyway and attacked the pile of pancakes.

"I also made you lunch dear" Gran-Gran said as she held up a brown paper bag. "What it is, is a surprise, so don't open it until lunch time"

Katara almost got tears in her eyes. "Oh Gran-Gran! Thank you so much. I love you"

Gran-Gran smiled and put the paper bag in Katara's bag. When Katara finished her pancakes, she got up and brushed her teeth. She took her bag from Gran-Gran and kissed her on the cheek. "Thanks again. I'll see you tonight"

"Have a good first day" Gran-Gran called after her as Katara put on her coat and walked outside.

She made her way to the bus stop as she checked her watch. _Right on time_. Fortunately, Katara didn't have to change busses to get to the Jasmine Dragon. When she stood in front of the shop it was still closed. Katara knocked on the door, requesting admittance.

The glass in the door wasn't completely see-through, so she only saw a vague form through the glass before the door was opened. When the door was open, she stared wide eyed at the one person she had least expected to find here.

"Zuko?"

**A/N:** Sooo, what will happen now? Even I don't know, and I'm writing this story!


	7. Chapter 7 - Tension

_**A/N:** Oh my god. I am sooo ashamed of myself right now, for taking so long to update. My apologies for those who have been waiting for it. Guess that I'm more busy when I am free. (to me, somehow, that makes sense) Anyway, enjoy this chapter.  
_

_When she stood in front of the shop, it was still closed. Katara knocked on the door, requesting admittance._

_The glass in the door wasn't completely see-through, so she only saw a vague form through the glass before the door was opened. When the door was open, she stared wide eyed at the one person she had least expected to find here._

"Zuko?" she asked amazed.

He frowned at the sight of her. "Katara? What are you doing here?"

"Ehm… I'm here for work. Starting today I'm an new employee of the Jasmine Dragon"

"You?" Zuko stared at her. "You are my new co-worker?"

"You work here too?" her amazement only grew.

"Yeah, I've been working here for two years" he answered.

"Well, co-workers it is than…" she smiled lamely. "Will you let me in?"

He seemed to shake himself and took a step aside, making room for her to come in. She took a step forward and walked past Zuko. In doing so, her shoulder brushed his arm and an electric current ran down her arm from the contact. Quickly she took another step so they weren't touching any longer, but the feeling lingered. She suppressed the urge to rub her shoulder and out of the corner of her eye she glanced at Zuko. He had gone completely still, he even seemed to be holding his breath. _Did he feel it too?_ Katara wondered.

There was a uncomfortable long silence between the two teenagers, before Zuko cleared his throat and turned to face Katara.

"I'll show you where you can put your stuff" he pointed to the bag Katara completely forgot she was holding.

Her gaze was immediately drawn to his lips as he spoke and she had to concentrate to understand the meaning of what he said, instead of getting totally obsessed by his mouth.

_Come on Katara! Say something! Don't just stand there gaping at the totally cute and handsome guy! _ Her inner voice brought her back.

"That would be a good idea" she said, without really knowing what idea was good.

Zuko stared at her. This wasn't her usual demeanor… Was something wrong with her? _Even if there was, it is not your job to worry about her._ "This way" he said and led the way to the back of the teahouse and to the linen closet. If only his uncle had told him_ she_ was his new co-worker, he might have been able to prepare himself better. _And what would you have done, had you known?_ The little voice in the back of his head whispered. Well, for starters he would have brought an extra bottle of deodorant. He already felt like he was sweating bullets. He would have taken more care of his hair, made sure that it was absolutely perfect. _Wake up dumb-dumb!_ His inner voice sneered. _She has a boyfriend!_ He heaved a deep sigh. Oh, how well he knew. But still, that didn't stop him from looking his fill every time he saw her. Even now, while she was putting away her bag.

She looked back at him with an arched eyebrow.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

He looked at her, non-plused. _Wrong? Why would anything be wrong?_ He cleared his throat again. "No. What makes you think anything is wrong?"

"You just sighed so deep, as if all the trouble in the world rested on your shoulders. Or are you already thinking I'm the worst employee you have ever seen?" she asked, only half jokingly.

"What? No!" he was quick to deny her question. "I don't think you are the worst employee I have ever seen. I'm sure you'll be great. And there is no trouble, just stayed up late last night, that's all"

She turned around so she was facing him. And only know did he discover how small a space the linen closet was, and how close they were. He only had to lean down and he would be able to take in her delicious scent. He suppressed the urge to do so and instead took a step back. Unconsciously he also noted that he was a whole head taller than her.

"Did Uncle explain what you have to do here?" he asked, just to get his wondering mind on saver paths.

"Uncle? Iroh is your uncle?" she asked as she studied his face. "Yeah, now that I look closely, I can see the resemblance. You have sort of the same eyes. Except the color is different" she had leaned towards him while she studied him, and know had to resist the urge to lean in even further.

"Yes" _was that his voice? _He sounded like he just swallowed gravel. He coughed to clear his throat. "Iroh is my uncle, which brings me back to my question. Did he explain to you what you have to do?" he had to take a step back. Either that, or she would find herself even closer to him. Namely, in his arms, against his chest. With his lips on hers.

"Only the gist of it, not the minor details. I have to wait for customers to signal me, take their orders, take them to Iroh. Then, when the orders are done, I bring them to the customers, ask if they would like anything else. When they ask for the check, I'll bring it to them, after they leave I collect the payment. But I don't know how the register works, so that's a problem…" she looked thoughtful for a moment. "Oh! And I have to be polite, but not overbearing" she smiled, happy to have remembered it all.

"Very good Katara" came a voice from behind Zuko.

Katara looked over Zuko's shoulder, while Zuko turned around to face his uncle.

"It took a couple of days before Zuko finally learned that he had to be polite to customers" Iroh joked, ignoring the furious scowl he received from his nephew. He looked at the teenagers and noted a certain tension between them. "I didn't know you knew each other?" he asked.

They shared a quick look before replying.

"We go to the same school" Katara mumbled, studying her suddenly very interesting shoes.

"She's the captain of the swimming team at school" Zuko muttered at the exact same time.

They heard each other and shared another quick glance before looking away again. All the while, Iroh observed them. He smiled to himself. Even though Zuko's face bore a faint blush and he was looking very uncomfortable, Iroh was sure his nephew would thank him later for hiring Katara Hakoda. Truth be told, he had never seen his nephew acting like this, not even with his former girlfriend Mai. His gaze shifted to Katara and saw that she too was blushing. Iroh took pity on them and introduced a new subject. "Well, now that there are two waiters, you can divide the tables. It is more polite if a customer is served by one person, instead of multiple. I suggest you take the window tables Katara, we might get more customers if they see such a pretty girl serving"

At his complement, Katara blushed even more. "If you think that's a good idea, than I guess I'll take the tables by the windows."

"Wonderful! Now Zuko, could you please explain the register to her? Then I'll change the sign on the door and we're open for business" Iroh clapped his hands and went to his self-appointed task.

Zuko led Katara to the register, attempting to keep a good distance between them.

"It's fairly easy to work with the register" he said as they stood in front of it. He pointed to the touch screen that depicted a layout of the Jasmine Dragon. "As you can see, this is the map of all the tables. Here" he pointed to the top of the screen, "are the windows, so the tables you'll be waiting on are these" he indicated the tables on the upper half of the screen. "So when you have the order of a certain table, you tap on that table on the screen"

He took a step back to allow Katara to examine the screen. Gently she tapped on a square with the number '4' in it. The layout disappeared and now a split screen was visible. The left side was completely empty, while the right half showed four categories. 'Tea', 'Coffee', 'Lunch', and 'Snacks'.

"Now you can enter the orders of table four. As you can see, there are four categories. Tap any of them, and you can select the ordered" Zuko explained.

Katara tapped on the 'Lunch' category. The right side of the screen changed again, and it showed all the lunch dishes the Jasmine Dragon provided. From cheese sandwiches to an omelet with bacon on the side. Next to the dishes was the prize list.

"If you select a dish, it will appear on the left side of the screen" Zuko looked over Katara's shoulder at the screen and bend slightly forward to tap a dish. "If someone ordered the same thing twice, just tap it again" he tapped again and on the left side there appeared a '2' in front of the just selected dish.

"What if I accidently tap it twice?" Katara asked, looking intently at the screen.

Zuko shifted behind her so he could peer over her other shoulder and use his other hand to tap on the dish on the left side of the screen. The '2' disappeared. He tapped again and the dish was gone. "Easily fixed" he said softly.

"Easily" she repeated even softer. _What is he doing?_ Katara had a hard time concentrating on the screen. With him standing so close behind her that she could feel his warm breath on her neck, she couldn't concentrate on anything but him.

"How do I get back?" did her voice really sound so strained?

Zuko tapped an arrow in the upper right corner and the dished vanished, making way for the four main categories. Another tap and the layout appeared. He was well aware of the proximity between him and Katara, but he didn't want to step back, on the contrary, he wanted to fold his arms around her and hold her closer. As he looked down at her, his eyes fell on the bare skin of her neck, just below her necklace. It looked so delicate and sensitive and soft, he wanted to press his lips against it. Pushing down the impulse, he took a step back. He took a deep breath to calm himself. That was a mistake. He still stood close enough to her to breath in her scent. Quickly he took another step, and another, until he was on the other side of the bar.

He had to clear his throat before he could talk normal again. "When you're at the order list of a table, there is in the lower right corner a button that says 'receipt' tap on it and it will be printed"

Katara kept staring at the screen and gave a muted nod. She didn't trust he voice yet. He had been way to close for comfort. _But was it really that?_ She asked herself. _ Or was it the fact that you wanted to lean back against him?_ The tiny voice in her head opted. She shook her head, trying to dislodge the voice, or at the very least shut it up.

Iroh's voice came as a godsend. "I hope you are ready for your first day of work, because there are your first customers" he indicated an elderly couple that stood by a window table. "Mr. and Mrs. Kuruk are patrons of the Jasmine Dragon, they come here every Saturday morning" he put a hand on Katara's shoulder. "Please, do not tarnish my reputation" he added with a smile.

Katara looked at the couple. Mr. Kuruk was holding out a chair for his wife. When she sat she looked up at him lovingly. He bend forward and placed a soft kiss on her lips before sitting down on the opposite chair. It was clear to anyone with eyes that they deeply loved each other. _If only, one day, I could have something like that_. Katara mused.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Iroh.

"They always take whatever is recommended, they never look at the menu"

Taking this as her queue, Katara walked towards the now occupied table.

"Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon, how can I help you?" Katara said with a smile as she stood by the table.

The couple looked up at her, Mrs. Kuruk was squinting through the thick lenses of her glasses.

"My, my. You're new aren't you?" she asked. "I told Iroh time and time again that it was way too busy for him and poor Zuko to handle. I'm glad he finally rook my advice" she smiled up at Katara.

"Yes, this is my first day" Katara answered the question.

"First day eh? Than I'd wager we are your first customers" Mr. Kuruk said, waggling his eyebrows. At Katara's nod he continued. "Well, we'll try to be good and patient customers. My wife and I like to be surprised when we come here, so we never look at the menu. Instead, we want whatever it is that you recommend. That way, we always have something we have never tasted before. So what would you recommend us?"

Before Katara could reply, Mrs. Kuruk slapped her husband on his arm. "Love, this is her first day!" she turned to Katara. "Don't mind him dear, he is just an obnoxious old man, if only I could calm him down from time to time" but the smile on her lips said that she didn't mean a word of what she had just said.

Katara also smiled and an idea popped into her head. "Well, if your objection is to calm your husband down, I would suggest the Chamomile Tea for him. And if you would want to take advantage of his calmness, I'd recommend the Sweet Lemon Tea for yourself"

They both looked up at her, Mr. Kuruk with a semi-shocked expression, but Mrs. Kuruk was smiling broadly.

"Oh, yes! That will do nicely. Thank you dear, for that wonderful idea" Mrs. Kuruk smiled.

"Would you like anything to go with your tea?" Katara asked.

Mr. Kuruk shook his head. "No dear, we take tea"

Katara nodded as she wrote down the order on her writing pad. "I'll be right back with your tea"

AS she made her way back to the bar, behind which Iroh stood, she noted that even though it was still early, there already were a lot of customers. After passing on the order to Iroh she went to another table where three men in business suits sat. They were deep in discussion about something when Katara came to stand by their table.

One man looked up at her. Before she could say anything the man spoke.

"We want three Earl Grey Teas and three bagels, as soon as possible" he turned back the his colleagues and ignored her.

"Coming right up sir" she murmured and turned back to the bar. After passing on the new order to Iroh, she picked up the tray with tea for Mr. and Mrs. Kuruk. She carefully made her way to the couple and set down the tray.

"If there is anything else you'd like, please let me know" she said with a warm smile.

"Thank you dear, we will" Mrs. Kuruk replied.

The morning went by quickly, Katara was too busy to notice the time passing.

Welcoming new customers, getting the orders, passing the orders to Iroh, getting new orders, picking up orders and bringing them back to the customers. Then, entering the orders in the register and printing the receipts, giving the receipts to the right customers. After the customers left, she collected the money and put it in the register. Most of the customers were polite and kind, but there were some who were busy and gave their order in curt and angry tones, telling Katara to hurry up. There even was a trio of girls who came in together and sat down at a table in the middle of the teashop. They were so self absorbed, they didn't even notice Katara as she stood next to their table. When one of the girls finally did look up, she cast Katara a dismissive glance and whispered very loudly to her friends.

"Star, I thought you said there was a cute boy serving here" she complained.

Another girl with two buns in her hair, presumably Star, replied. "Yes, I did. And as you can see, he is right over there" she pointed at Zuko, who was currently taking orders of a young couple on the other side of the room. Star looked up at Katara, giving her the same dismissive look her friend had given. "We would like to be served by him, not you" she stated bluntly.

Katara had to bite her tongue to keep the sharp reply she was about to give in. They spoke of Zuko like they had some claim on him, which they didn't. _ Neither do you, so why would you care?_ She ignored her thoughts and tried to be as polite as possible.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that's not possible. As you can see, he is very busy. You'll have to content with me"

The three girls gave her a murderous look, but there wasn't much they could do. It was clear that Zuko was indeed very busy.

"Fine. I'll have the Açai Berry & Blueberry Tea" Star finally relented.

"Pomegranate & Raspberry Tea for me" the girl who had first noticed Katara said.

"Tropical Fruits Tea" was all the last girl said.

Katara wrote down the orders. "Coming right up" and made her way to Iroh. When she gave the order to Iroh, Zuko joined her with his own orders. She cast him a sideways glance. "You know, there are three girls here who desperately wanted you to serve them" she said casually.

Zuko looked at her and arched an eyebrow. "Really? And why is it that you are serving them than?" he asked.

_Because they would be all over you, and you might like it._ "Because they're on my side, and you're busy enough as it is. Besides, they would hook their collective claws in you and wouldn't let go until there is nothing left of you" she stated.

Zuko chuckled. "I thought you said they were girls, but you make them sound like a pack of hungry wolves. Who are we talking about?"

Katara had to suppress a giggle at the comparison. It was quite apt. "Table seven, they look as sweet as the tea they ordered"

Zuko cast a quick glance over his shoulder at the three girls at table seven and quickly looked back at Katara. From the look on his face, Katara deduced he was grateful he would have to serve them.

"Ow, come on, they are not _that_ bad" Katara teased.

He cast her a dubious look. "Are you serious? Girls like that are the worst!" he whispered.

"Why? They could be sweet"

"Sweet like melted honey, sticky and all over the place"

"They clearly like to talk"

"They couldn't stop talking if their lives depended on it" Zuko broke in.

"You could have a deep conversation with them" Katara continued as if he hadn't interrupted.

"As deep as a nutshell"

"They're young"

"Immature"

"Good looking"

"Not my type at all"

Katara ceased their playful banter and studied him. "What is your type?" she was suddenly serious. She really wanted to know.

The atmosphere around them changed from playful camaraderie to tense uneasiness as Zuko's eyes locked with hers. There was something in his golden eyes. For a moment it looked like they were screaming "You!", but it was gone so quickly, Katara thought she had imagined it.

Zuko cleared his throat. "Not them" was all he said before picking up his tea tray and walking to one of the tables, leaving Katara to stare at his back.

_Get it together Katara!_ She mentally shook herself and picked up her own tray and went back to work.

It was half past noon until Katara realized the morning had flown by. There was a lull in the constant stream of customers, as the Jasmine Dragon was not yet established as a place where one could get a good lunch.

Katara looked up when she heard someone call her name. Looking at the entrance, she saw Sokka, Suki and Jet standing in the doorway.

"Surprise!" they said in unison.

"What are you guys doing here?" Katara asked as she received a hug from Suki.

"Isn't that obvious?" Suki said. "We're surprising you"

"We were hungry, so we decided to lunch here" Sokka explained further.

Jet rolled his eyes. "You're always hungry Sokka" he walked over to Katara, bend down and pressed his lips against her forehead. "But we did want to surprise you babe, so here we are"

Her friends sat down at a just deserted table and looked up at her expectantly.

"Aren't you going to take our orders?" Sokka asked when Katara just stood there, staring.

She rolled her eyes at her brother and took her writing pad form her apron.

"Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon, were you able to decide what you would like?"

"Finally!" Sokka exclaimed. "I thought you'd never ask. I want your best ham-cheese sandwich and a coffee"

"I would like the Gingerbread Tea and a raspberry muffin" Suki said.

"A double espresso and a cute waitress to join us" Jet smirked.

Katara's eyes widened. "Guys, I'm working. I can't join you. It's my first day"

"You're entitled a break aren't you?" Sokka asked. "Come on Katara, join us for lunch"

She heaved a sigh. Now she thought of it, she was pretty hungry. "All right, I'll ask Iroh if I can join you. But I'm not promising anything!" she stated and turned around.

After giving the order to Iroh she asked, "Is it ok if I join my friends for lunch? They came here to surprise me"

Iroh looked at the table her friends sat at and then glanced at the clock. "You may join them, but no longer than half an hour"

Katara smiled broadly at him. "Thank you!" she turned and retrieved the paper bag from her bag in which Gran-Gran had put her lunch. Walking past the bar, she picked up her friends' orders and made her way to their table.

"Yeey, there she is!" Suki exclaimed as Katara sat down.

"Only for thirty minutes, then I have to get back to work"

"That's more than enough time" Suki said.

"Enough time for what?" Katara asked her best friend.

"Duh! We have to discuss the school trip to Ember Island! It is only two weeks away you know"

"And you have to do that while I'm working? We see each other every day at school"

Suki stuck out her tongue and continued with her monologue of what she had to bring with her on the trip.

The half hour flew by fast and Katara stood up. "I have to get back to work now, but thank you. It was an awesome surprise"

Sokka stood as well. "Yes, it was indeed nice, good food. Well, we'll be on our way than" he made to move to the door but Katara stopped him.

"You still have to pay for the food Sokka" she said.

"What? But I'm your brother. Don't I get it for free, you know, family relations and all?"

"I don't think so, I'm not allowed to give discount, not even to family" she pulled the receipt she had already printed from her apron pocket and handed it to her brother.

At the table, Suki smirked at Jet. "Pay up, pretty boy, you lost"

Katara turned back to her best friend and boyfriend. "Lost what?" she asked.

"We made a bet, whether you would give us lunch for free. I said there was no way you would do that, but the boys disagreed with me. Now, I win and they have to pay for lunch" Suki grinned.

Katara smiled at her friend's cleverness. One way or the other, Suki would have to pay for lunch at all. She waited patiently until the required money was on the table.

"Have a nice day, and do come back to the Jasmine Dragon" she greeted her friends as they left.

The afternoon went by even faster than the morning. Before she knew it, it was closing time and she was helping Zuko clean the tables when Iroh called them to the bar. On the bar stood three steaming cups of tea. Iroh picked them up and handed one to Katara, the other to Zuko and reserved the last one for himself.

"I would like to propose a toast, on Katara and the magnificent first day she had"

Katara blushed and clinked her cup with the others. "Thank you. I had a great time here, hopefully tomorrow will be as good as today"

"Hear, hear" they all chorused.

**A/N:** sooo what do you think? please R&R, the more reviews I get, the more I will write, and the sooner the next chapter will be up.


	8. Chapter 8 - Bad Feelings

**A/N:** It has been a busy, busy, busy week. But I managed to write my longest chapter yet. In the mean time I also started smaller stories, based on the Zutara week chalenges from past years, just to get some extra experience with writing. So those will be up as well some time soon. Until than, enjoy this chapter.

The Monday following her first weekend of employment was yet another early morning for Katara. She grumbled and rolled on her other side, drawing the covers of her bed over her head. But she was awake now and couldn't tune out the annoyingly insistent beeping of her alarm. Without withdrawing the covers from her head, she extended her arm and felt along her bedside table. Her searching fingers found familiar objects, her mother's necklace, the photo frame which held a picture of her family, the book she had been reading last night, and finally, the alarm clock.

Feeling along the top of the clock, she located the snooze button. After several tries she managed to turn off the alarm completely. Only now did she withdraw the covers and opened her eyes. They immediately locked on her mother's necklace on the nightstand. The sight always soothed her, made her feel safe, as if her mother was still with her, protecting her. But this morning was different. She didn't know why, but the usual feelings were absent. Instead, a sense of foreboding filled her, warned her for something. She felt like something bad was going to happen, but she didn't know what or when.

She shook the feeling away, what could possibly happen? It was probably her lack of sleep talking. Yes, she couldn't fall asleep last night, due to a certain boy and the promise he gave her. That reminder spurred her into action. She threw the covers away and exited her bed. She nearly ran to her wardrobe to select a fitting outfit for the day. Opting for a white, short-sleeved blouse and denim skirt that reached to just above her knee, she made her way to the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror. She pulled up her lip as she saw the birds nest her hair resembled. Quickly she pulled her brush through the brown tresses until it was slightly subdued. She grimaced again as she was not satisfied with the result, so she decided on a ponytail. _It doesn't really matter anyway_, she thought to herself. She had swimming practice this morning, so she had to do it all over again in a while.

When she considered herself properly groomed, complete with outfit, necklace and black boots, she made her way to the kitchen to make herself some breakfast. While she was eating her breakfast her mind wandered from Zuko, to the time, and back to Zuko again. What was it about him that intrigued her so? What was it that made her dress up, look good, for him? Unconsciously she compared him with Jet.

Both men were tall, about the same height. They were the same age, both seniors. But that was where the similarities ended. Where Jet was always had a tan, an easy smile, well defined almost protuberant muscles, and was referred to as masculine and handsome, Zuko was pale, even more so with his midnight black hair, showed no expression on his face most of the time, had a sleeker grace, and was called mysterious, but in a good way. Then of course there was his scar, that somehow added in the good effect, at least, where Katara was concerned.

Katara realized that, after working with him for an entire weekend, she had come to know him well. She smiled at herself as she remembered the first time she had encountered the boy with the scar. He had scowled so furiously at her when he caught her staring, she thought she would keel over. Luckily that hadn't happened. Instead she had turned around and nearly ran into her classroom, out of reach of those piercing gold eyes. Those eyes. How different had those eyes been this past weekend. She decided it were the eyes that made Zuko all the more handsome.

She didn't know what triggered it, but suddenly she was pulled out of her thoughts as a horrific realization came upon her. She was comparing her boyfriend to another guy, and the other guy was coming out the better! What kind of girlfriend was she? A shame-induced blush crept over her face. What the hell was wrong with her? Why would she even compare Jet with anyone? Most especially with Zuko? She mentally slapped herself to berate herself.

She glanced at the clock and saw that it was nearly time. She walked into the living room, to the front windows that gazed upon the street. Just as she had stationed herself, a car pulled up in front of the house. She slapped herself again, this time for real, as her heart fluttered in her chest. She walked into the hall, pulled on her jacket and grabbed her bags. She walked out of the front door and turned around to close it. When she turned again, she saw Zuko standing next to his car, as if magically appeared. In reality he had gotten out of his car and was now opening the trunk.

He smiled warmly at her as she walked up to him. Her answering smile wasn't as warm, but she had to keep herself in check. She deposited both her bags in the trunk and since she was hard pressed not to look at the intoxicating boy next to her, she focused all her attention on her task. In doing so, she noticed another blood-red sports bag in the trunk.

She heard Zuko clear his throat.

"Good morning" he greeted her.

She inwardly cursed. Now she had to look at him. She braced herself and met his gaze.

"Morning" she mumbled and quickly looked away again. _Why did I agree to this?_ The voice in her head shouted. She wasn't at all sure driving to school with him was a good idea. There was a kind of tension between them, that was impossible for her to ignore. She would surely go insane long before they would reach the school.

If Zuko took note of her strange behavior, he didn't let it on.

"I would offer you the shotgun seat, nut it's already taken"

A strange mixture of relief and sudden jealousy filled Katara at his words. Relief because she wouldn't have to be alone with him in a very small space, and jealousy because she wanted to be the one, the only, person to get a ride from Zuko.

"That's ok" she said. "I'm more comfortable on the back seat anyway" _especially when you're driving._ She added mentally.

She opened the car door and her senses were assaulted by a loud bass and screaming guitars. She looked questioningly back at Zuko, she didn't know what his tastes in music were, but she hadn't expected this. He looked apologetic for a moment and got in the driver seat. Katara followed suit and slid in the back seat.

Zuko turned down the volume of the - to Katara's taste horrible – music and buckled his seatbelt.

"Why did you have to turn down the music Zu zu?" an annoyed voice asked.

It was only now that Katara realized who had taken the shotgun seat. Azula.

"Because it bothers me" Zuko answered his sister.

"It didn't bother you when we drove to this godforsaken part of town" Azula commented.

Katara felt an overwhelming urge to flee when cold, hard eyes came to rest on her. They were the same as Zuko's, yet so completely different at the same time. Azula let out a disgusted sound, but refrained from commenting when she saw Katara in the back seat.

What followed was the most uncomfortable car ride Katara had ever experienced. Not that Zuko was a bad driver, on the contrary, he was an exceptional driver. But the tense silence that hung in the air made Katara wish the horrible music was back on.

It seemed to be standard procedure for brother and sister not to talk to each other. On top of that, Zuko was driving, so Katara didn't want to distract him, and she didn't have anything to say to Azula. But that still didn't explain the tension she felt. She squirmed in her seat, trying to ignore it, but her efforts were dashed when Azula turned to her, with a too sweet smile.

"Tell me Katara" she said in the same, too sweet, tone. "You have a boyfriend don't you?" At the word "boyfriend" Azula's eyes flickered to Zuko. "Jet wasn't it? The football team captain? He is very handsome. You better hold on to a guy like that"

Something in Azula's words made Katara very apprehensive. Why was Azula interested in her boyfriend? _And why does she have to talk about Jet when Zuko is in hearing range?_ She pushed back the small voice and gave Azula a bland stare.

"Yes" she answered all the questions at once.

Again, Azula's eyes flickered to her brother and the smile on her lips widened. She muttered something and turned to stare out of the car window.

Katara wasn't sure she heard it correctly, but she thought Azula had muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "excellent". But why would Azula find it excellent she had a boyfriend? She didn't know, and wasn't sure she wanted to find out.

After what seemed an eternity, they arrived at school. Azula got out of the car, retrieved her bag and was off without a word to either Zuko or Katara. Before retrieving her own bags, Katara sneaked a glance at Zuko. There was now a tension visible on his face that hadn't been there before.

"Thanks for the ride" she said as she put her bags over her shoulders.

The look he gave her was cold and distant. "No problem"

She turned around, but before she took a step, he spoke again.

"Katara?"

She faced him again and saw he was debating something. "Yes?"

The emotions visible on his face changed as he apparently came to a conclusion and heaved a deep sigh. "Never mind. Have fun at practice"

She gave him a small smile and walked to the girls' locker room to change.

Zuko followed her with his eyes until she vanished in the building. The car ride had been hell. It had started out merely uncomfortable when he picked her up from home. But of course Azula had to remind him of Katara's boyfriend. He was convinced that Azula had done it to taunt him, not Katara. The fact that she managed to slight Katara as well was a bonus for Azula.

And then, just now, he had wanted to tell Katara how he felt about her, what she meant to him. But the look in her eyes was enough to tell him she wasn't ready to hear a confession like that. So at the last moment he had swallowed the words and had let her walk away. With each passing day he got to know her better, the urge to tell her grew. And today he nearly told her. But he didn't know how she would react, would she tell him she felt the same way? Or laugh at him in his face? He grumbled. _Those damn insecurities!_

Instead of going to the arts and crafts classroom like usual on early mornings like this, he went into the study lounge and fired up one of the ancient computers. He seriously needed a virtual escape right now. Hopefully the Painted Lady was online so he could talk to her. Unfortunately, luck wasn't with him, she wasn't online. He decided writing an email would have to suffice for now.

**From:** TheBlueSpirit21

**To:** PaintedLady 362

**Subject:** Any good ideas?

**Time:** 7.05 A.M.

Hey Painted Lady,

I have trouble. If you remember, I asked you a while back for advice about a girl. Well, first step is accomplished. I got to know her, and she really is an amazing girl. She's kind, funny, patient and the most beautiful girl alive (to my eyes at least).

So, easily put, it's on to step two: tell her.

But that isn't as easy as it sounds, just this morning I was about to tell her, but fear held me back, I really, really like her. What if she laughs at me? Or even if she just says no and walks away? The possibilities are so wide ranging, I can't wrap my mind around it.

So, do you have any other bright ideas that might help me?

The Blue Spirit

After sending the email, he tried to imagine what she would tell him, what she thought was the right course of action.

_Go with your instinct_, whispered through his head. Was that it? The right thing to do? To just walk up to her and let instinct take over? He heaved a sigh. God, he was tired if wondering. He might just do that, let instinct take over. At least that he would have a clear answer. Because even a blunt "No" from Katara was better than the feelings he was coping with right now. He made up his mind. Next time he saw her, he would make sure she knew how he felt. There would be no way for her to misinterpret him. He felt lighter now that he had made up his mind.

The next time he saw her came sooner than he had thought. It was during his Study hour that day. He sat, once again, in the study lounge behind a computer, working on his school assignments. He looked up for a moment and suddenly she was there, on the other side of the room, bent over her books. He looked around the study lounge. _It's way too crowded right now. I'll do it when there are less people._ He told himself. He tried to get back to work, but his concentration had flown out the window. Impatiently he waited for some students to leave, but to his annoyance, there were only more students coming in. Finally the lunch bell rang out and everyone got up to go to the cafeteria. This time, luck was with him. Katara was one of the last to get up and leave. He intercepted her at the door.

"Hey Katara, can I talk to you for a moment?" he pushed down the nerves that tightened his stomach and constricted his lungs.

She looked up at him. "Sure, what's up?"

It really had been his intention to talk to her, to tell her what he felt, but something in her eyes stopped him. She was staring at him, with that open look she usually had, that made her look more confident and more vulnerable at the same time. But there was something else in the deep sapphire, could it possible by longing? Words left him as he let instinct take over. He cupped her face in his hands and bent down his head to hers. Achingly slowly he let his lips caress hers before settling more definite.

Katara was caught the instant she looked into his eyes. They were searching hers, for what she didn't know. But then, a desire so strong took residence in his eyes, it nearly took her breath away. She was vaguely aware of him taking hold of her face and bending down. But at the first feel of his lips against hers she was lost. Soft at first, than more demanding. God it felt good. She was intoxicated. Now he was demanding an answer. To his nonverbal question. _Yes, oh yes!_ Her mind screamed. She wanted to give him the answer he clearly wanted to hear. And she was about to give it, to respond to his demand and open her mouth to let his tongue slip into her mouth to caress hers, when a sudden image of Jet came into her mind.

It had the same effect as an ice bucket emptied over her head. With a gasp she took a step back, using her hand that had crept up his chest to push away from him. His hands dropped away from her face as she stepped out of his reach.

Now she was out of his arms she was assaulted by more opposing feelings. What was she doing, kissing someone that wasn't her boyfriend? Why the hell had she stepped back? How was she going to tell Jet about her infidelity? Why was she missing the warmth of Zuko's lips on hers? She brought her hand up to cover her lips, to keep the warmth there, or the sob that was about to escape her throat in, she didn't know. She stared at Zuko with a horrified expression on her face. She couldn't talk, she might say something she didn't want at all. But what did she want? She had no clue.

Without a word she ran past him and away.

"Katara!" she heard him call after her, but she didn't listen. She was too busy getting away and keeping her tears in. What had she done?

Once again, Zuko was left behind to stare at her retreating form. The kiss had been amazing, she was so soft, tasted so sweet, he was instantly addicted to her. His mind had been full of her, everything else had simply vanished. Even when she had pushed him away, his mind had been blissfully blank, until he opened his eyes and saw the look in her eyes. A strange mix of longing, confusion and anger. It had only lasted a moment before she ran off. He realized just how big the mistake was to kiss her and tried to call her back. But she didn't respond to him.

Now he was left to curse himself. _Instinct! Yeah right!_ He wanted to bang his head against the wall. But he had to clear things up with Katara first. But since she didn't listen to him, the only thing he could do was text her. He retrieved his phone out of his jeans pocket and hurriedly texted her.

When Katara finally appeared in the cafeteria, lunch was nearly finished. She sat down at the table where Suki, Sokka, Haru and Jet sat.

"You ok?" Suki asked her as she just sat there without saying anything.

Katara looked up at her friend and nodded. Suki gave her a yeah-right-I-don't-believe-that-for-an-instant look, but refrained from speaking as she saw the tightness around Katara's mouth. She bent forward and whispered so only Katara could hear it.

"You are going to tell me later" it wasn't a question, it was a statement.

Even though Suki's words weren't heard by the rest of the table, her actions were clear enough that something wasn't quite right.

Jet looked at his girlfriend next to him and put his arm around her shoulder.

"Something wrong babe?" he asked.

"No" she said, but she didn't dare look him in the eye.

Jet's attention was quickly diverted by Sokka, who tried to steal his jelly from his tray.

"Sokka, I swear, try that again, and I'll shove it down your throat" Jet threatened.

Katara didn't pay attention to the others, she was too busy with her own thoughts. She needed to know something, and she was determined to find out as soon as possible.

Zuko's kiss had been amazing, made her yearn for more. Made her wonder if she ever felt like that when Jet had kissed her, she couldn't remember. So when the bell rang again, she took hold of Jet's arm.

"Do you have a minute?" she asked, almost pleaded.

He looked at her at smiled. "For you, I have more than a minute"

She stood and led him to the hall, where students were trying to get to class. She pulled him to the side, so they wouldn't be dragged away be the flow of student. Once they were safe, she reached up and pulled Jet's head down to hers. Pressing her lips against his, she was hoping to feel the same amazing feeling as when Zuko had kissed her. Jet responded ardently to her kiss and let his tongue play with hers. She tried, really tried, but she didn't feel it. Because it wasn't there to be found.

She let her hands slip from behind his neck and took a step back. Jet smirked as he opened her eyes and looked down at her.

"You can have an hour if this is what you ask for" he said and brushed his lips against hers once more.

She gave him a dry smile but didn't concur. _This is bad_. She hadn't felt a thing! While she even now, still yearned for Zuko's kiss.

"Gotta go babe, she you after school?"

She nodded and watched him walk away. She didn't know it was possible, but she felt even worse now than she had before she kissed her boyfriend. Closing her eyes, she leaned against the wall and covered her face with her hands. _What now?_

As she lowered her hands again she saw Zuko standing on the other side of the hall. From the look on his face it was clear to her that he had witnessed her kiss with Jet. The Universe just couldn't give her a break today. She deliberately looked away and made her way to class.

By the end of the week, Katara was convinced the Universe had it in for her. Other than a good kiss from the wrong guy - who had instantly sent her a stupid text, half explaining, half apologizing but not helping at all - and a bad kiss from the good guy, she also had to cope with a whining email friend who couldn't solve his own problems - she had her own problems to deal with right now. Then, the groups for the Ember Island trip the following week were announced. She was in the same group as Suki, which was good, Sokka, which was annoying, Toph, which she didn't know that well, Aang, which was even more annoying, and worst of all, Zuko. Jet would have also been included in the group, if it wasn't for a certain someone - Katara strongly suspected Azula - who ratted him out and told Principal Ozai that Jet had started the food fight. As punishment he had gotten detention and was no longer allowed to go on the trip.

All of that was bad enough, but she was sure that in time, she would be able to handle it all. Now however, the Universe had dealt her a final blow to make her fall down completely. Somehow, she had lost her mother's necklace.

Friday morning she was in the girls' locker room, frantically searching her locker. Swimming practice had just ended, and all the girls were dressing and getting ready for class. Katara was already dressed, the only thing missing was her mother's necklace. She was sure she put it in her locker, like she always did during practice. And always as she opened her locker again, it was there. But not today. Slowly a feeling closely resembling panic crept up on her. She took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. It wasn't there. In her mind she retraced her steps that morning. She had put it on before leaving the house, as always, and she did take it off while changing into her swimsuit, so it had to be in her locker. But this was the umpteenth time she completely cleared out her locker and she still hadn't found it.

Her behavior didn't go unnoticed by her teammates.

"You ok, Katara?" Rika asked. "Have you lost something? You've cleared out our locker I don't know how many times"

"I can't find my mother's necklace" Katara was very close to tear now.

"You mean that blue chocker with the pendant on it?" Keiko asked.

"Yes! Have you seen it?"

Keiko shook her head, along with everyone else. "No, but I have never seen you without it, outside swimming practice"

"That's because I always wear it. It was my mother's before she died. It is the only thing I have of her. I can't have lost it"

They all searched the locker room together, but no one managed to find the necklace. But time was short and soon all of them had to go to class.

When Katara stepped out of the locker room and walked to class, she felt naked without her necklace. Not to mention cast down for having lost something so precious to her. When she walked into the classroom, Suki was already there.

Suki immediately noticed the absence of the necklace and looked at her questioningly. When she saw Katara's face, she changed the question she was about to ask.

"What happened to your necklace?" she asked concerned.

Katara had trouble holding her tears in as she replied. "I lost it. I took it off for swimming practice this morning, but when I came back in the locker room and opened my locker, it was gone"

Suki didn't need to ask if her friend was sure and if she really searched everywhere. She knew Katara had done just that.

"You know what? I'm sure someone found your necklace and brought it to the janitor, during lunch you should go ask if he has it. I can come with you if you want" Suki tried to console her friend.

"I put it in my locker Suki! How could someone, anyone, find it?"

"Maybe it fell out before you closed it?" Suki sounded less sure now. "Either way, I think you should go to the janitor, just to make sure"

"You're right, I will go to the janitor during lunch" Katara was now slightly hopeful that all was not lost. Now that she had a small ray of sunshine, she clung to her as if her life depended on it, and couldn't wait for lunch.

The moment the lunch bell rang, she was out of her seat and walking to the door. She nearly ran to the janitor's office. She usually evaded the janitor, since he suffered from a dissociative identity disorder and at times was really hard to understand. She didn't even know what his real name was. Sometime he called himself Dock, other times it was Xu, and today apparently he called himself Bushi. The only way to distinguish between the multiple personalities was the hat he wore.

"Excuse me?" Katara asked as she walked into the janitor's office. "I lost my necklace this morning, and I was wondering if anyone brought it here as something found"

Bushi looked at her and sadly shook his head. "I'm sorry, but no one brought anything in today. I can ask my brothers, if they've seen anything?"

"Your brothers?" Katara asked confused.

Apparently he took this as confirmation, because he bent down behind his counter and came up again, wearing another hat.

"I heard from my brother Bushi that you lost your necklace. Sadly, no one found something like that today, at least, didn't bring it me. I will ask my other brother, maybe he knows something"

He vanished behind the counter again, only to emerge seconds later with yet another hat.

"No, I haven't seen anyone the entire day, my brothers have been monopolizing the students today. I'm sorry. But I will keep an eye out for your necklace"

Cast down again, and now confused as well Katara thanked Dock, Xu or Bushi for his efforts and made her way to the cafeteria. Now she really couldn't hold her tears in.

Zuko immediately noticed something was wrong with her when she stepped into the cafeteria. Even from a distance he saw there was something different about her, and it wasn't the cast down emotion that poured off her in waves. There was also something wrong with her appearance, he just couldn't put his finger on it. When he saw her sit down with her friends and put her head on her arms, he was starting to get worried. Something was seriously wrong with her. He saw Jet put an consoling arm around her and wished he could do the same. He was determined to find out what was wrong, so that he could make it right for Katara, whatever it was that was wrong. He mentally ran through his schedule. Yes, the last hour of the day was English. And Jet was in that class as well. He could ask him what was wrong with Katara.

It worked out exactly as he planned, and he cornered Jet when the final bell rang.

"Is something wrong with Katara? I saw her crying" he asked as casual as possible.

Jet looked at him suspiciously. "Why would you care?" he asked.

_Because I can't bear to see her unhappy, even though she's not my girlfriend._ "Because I have to work with her tomorrow, and I don't want to be drowned in tears" he rolled his eyes at Jet, as if that wasn't obvious.

Apparently that was a good enough excuse for Jet.

"She lost her mother's necklace and is bumped about it. But she'll get over it, I mean, it's just a necklace" Jet rolled his eye

"Right. Girls and jewelry"

"I know right!?" with that Jet walked of and left Zuko staring at his back.

_Bastard, you don't deserve her. If you did, you would know that that necklace means the world to her. She never goes without it._ And he knew that for sure. He had admired it around her neck a lot. He sighed and went home.

At home, he fired up his computer and checked his emails. The Painted Lady still hadn't responded to his email. Not that it mattered, he had already screwed up royally with Katara.

At the bottom right corner a pop-up came into view.

PaintedLady362 just came online.

He hesitated for a few minutes, wondering if he should talk to her. Eventually the choice was taken from him, because she started to talk to him.

**ThePaintedLady362:** Hey

**BlueSpirit21:** Hi. Everything alright?

**ThePaintedLady362:** Not really, just had a crappy week…

**BlueSpirit21:** Tell me about it, not the most awesome week for me either

**ThePaintedLady362: **What happened to you?

**BlueSpirit21:** Well, I sent you an email about it on Monday, but I already screwed it up, so it doesn't matter anymore…

**ThePaintedLady362: **Yeah, I read your email. I'm sorry I didn't reply, I was dealing some issues of my own.

**BlueSpirit21:** That's ok, as I said. It doesn't matter now.

**ThePaintedLady362:** Btw, I think you talk really bad about yourself in your email

**BlueSpirit21:** Bad how?

**ThePaintedLady362:** Well, when you are wondering about how that girl might react, you only write down the bad reaction you could receive. It seems like it never occurs to you that she might react in a good way. Do you always think like that?

Zuko sat back in his chair. Did he really do that? It hadn't occurred to him before.

**BlueSpirit21:** I don't know…

**ThePaintedLady362:** And why doesn't my advice matter anymore? You sounded really desperate

**BlueSpirit21:** Well, I went with my instinct, and made sure she knew how I felt… Then she ran off…

**ThePaintedLady362:** She ran off?

**BlueSpirit21:** yeah…

**ThePaintedLady362:** Well, she's a bitch

**BlueSpirit21:** No she is not. She is the most caring person I ever met.

**ThePaintedLady362:** But she ran off

**BlueSpirit21:** I did something that made her run off. It wasn't really her fault.

**ThePaintedLady362:** You're doing it again

**BlueSpirit21:** What?

**ThePaintedLady362:** Thinking the worst of yourself.

**BlueSpirit21:** I am not, I really did something stupid.

**ThePaintedLady362:** Than what did you do?

**BlueSpirit21:** I don't want to talk about it..

**ThePaintedLady362:** Fine. Whatever.

**BlueSpirit21:** Well, how about your week? You said it was crappy?

**ThePaintedLady362:** Boy trouble…

**BlueSpirit21:** Well, you helped me. It's only fair that I help you.

**ThePaintedLady362:** A really cute guy kissed me.

**BlueSpirit21:** Is that bad?

**ThePaintedLady362:** Yes, because he isn't my boyfriend.

**BlueSpirit21:** Ow… What did you do?

**ThePaintedLady362:** I ran away.

_She ran away? Katara did so as well… weird_

**BlueSpirit21:** Why do all girls see running away as a solution?

**ThePaintedLady362:** It wasn't a solution, it was self-preservation…

**BlueSpirit21:** How is running away self-preservation?

**ThePaintedLady362:** You wouldn't understand… You're a guy :P

_Gah! Girls!_

**BlueSpirit21:** Whatever. So was that all that made your week crappy?

**ThePaintedLady362: ** No… well, when he kissed me, it felt really good. In my experience, he is a good kisser… But then I felt guilty, because I never felt like that when my boyfriend kissed me. And to prove myself wrong, I kissed my boyfriend. And I was right, he isn't as good a kisser as the other guy…

**BlueSpirit21:** So you kissed two guys… doesn't really sound all that crappy to me

**ThePaintedLady362:** crappy enough, trust me… But on top of that, the Universe decided to punish me even further…

**BlueSpirit21:** So what happened?

**ThePaintedLady362:** I lost my necklace… It was my mother's before she died. It is the only thing I have of her. But now it's gone.

_WHAT THE HELL?_ Zuko stared at his computer screen, not believing what he just read.

_Katara is the Painted Lady?!_

**A/N:** AAAAAAH ZUKO KNOWS! What will he do know? let me know what you think by R&R.


	9. Chapter 9 - To Ember Island

**A/N:** OMG you guys! Never have a recieved so many great reviews! Thanks to all of you who took the time to do so. Here is the next chapter. Hope you like it.

Zuko dreaded going to work that Saturday. He had felt uncomfortable ever since that kiss, that amazing kiss, but now he knew who Katara was, or rather, who the Painted Lady was, he absolutely dreaded it. He had half a mind to call in sick, he did feel like hell thanks to the sleepless night he had, but his better half knew that wasn't going to work. Sooner or later, he had to face her. If not today or tomorrow at work, than surely tomorrow evening when they went on the school trip to Ember Island. Destiny would have it that he was in the same group as Katara.

As Zuko watched the clock, he saw the minutes tick by until the inevitable moment when he had to get up and go to work. When, finally, there was no time left to dally, Zuko heaved a deep sigh and got out of his chair and made his way downstairs. On the way down, he had to pass by Azula's room. The door was partly open and he could hear his sister talking.

"I know right? Did you see her? It was so pathetic. Hilarious!" there was a short pause. "Duh! Of course it was me. No one throws orange juice at me and gets away with it"

This made Zuko stop in his tracks. _Orange juice?_ Katara had thrown orange juice at Azula.

"Harsh? She had it coming Ty lee! That's what makes it so perfect"

What had Azula done to Katara?

"I don't care if it was her mother's, I wouldn't care if it was the queen of England's. It's mine now. And there's no way she's going to get it back" Azula said to Ty lee over the phone.

_Shit!_ Azula had stolen Katara's necklace, out of revenge. Zuko shook his head. He should have guessed as much.

"Of course not! There is no such thing as 'enough' in cases like these" Azula started talking again.

Zuko would have liked to stay outside her door and listen to what Azula's diabolical plan was, but time was pressing. He had to go to work now, otherwise he would be terribly late. But he made a resolution none the less. When he got home tonight, he would go search Azula's room, to find what belonged to Katara. Provided Azula was far, far away. His honor dictated he help Katara. He knew where her necklace was, he had to take it and give it back to her. Somehow, he felt lighter and walked on.

When he walked into the Jasmine Dragon, he was in time to see his uncle turning the sign on the door of the teahouse, declaring it open.

"You're late Nephew" Iroh said disapprovingly.

"I know, I'm sorry. Didn't get enough sleep last night" it wasn't precisely the reason he was late, but it was true. In a way.

"You young teenagers must really go to bed earlier. I can't have both of you yawning at the customers"

"Both?" Zuko asked.

"Hmm, Katara has had a sleepless night as well" Iroh gestured to somewhere behind Zuko.

Zuko knew what sight would greet him once he turned around and he steeled himself before doing so. And as usual, at the sight of Katara, his heart made a little jump, a reaction that had been amplified ever sing their kiss. But now, the shock was even worse. She looked horrible. The bags under her eyes attested to her sleepless night, but the sparkle that usually resided in her sapphire blue eyes was gone. Even the absence of the blue necklace was glaringly obvious to Zuko. The sight gripped his heart and squeezed painfully.

Katara had had a very crappy morning. After her online chat with the Blue Spirit, from which he had suddenly disappeared after she mentioned what had happened to her -_self obsessed much?_- she had gone down to the kitchen to make dinner for herself, her brother and Gran-Gran. Since Gran-Gran was getting older and less mobile, and her brother couldn't cook a good meal to save his life, Katara had taken on the cooking duties. Somehow, she had managed to overcook the pasta, so it was just a disgusting looking mush, and burn the meat that turned out tasting like an old leather boot. And of course, Sokka had had to complain about it. She had yelled at him that if he didn't like it, he should have made his own dinner, and had ran off to her room, barely holding back the threatening tears. Later, when Gran-Gran had knocked on her door and asked what was wrong, she had burst in a fresh wave of tears. She had told Gran-Gran everything, from the amazing kiss with Zuko and the subsequent feelings of guilt, to her online friend who just vanished when she needed him the most, but who was always expecting her to be there when he needed her, and finally, her necklace that had disappeared mysteriously. Gran-Gran had consoled her to the best of her considerable abilities, but when Katara had lain in bed that night, alone with only her thoughts for company, the horrible feelings, all of them, had come winging back, thus depriving her of sleep. Only after she saw the digits on her alarm clock display half past three, had she fallen into a restless sleep. It had been just her luck that her sleep was deep enough for her to sleep through the alarm. Eventually it had been Gran-Gran who came knocking on her door and woke her up. After a quick breakfast, she had hurried to be on time at the Jasmine Dragon. She was so rushed, she hadn't considered what, or rather, who, was at her destination. It had only dawned on her as she knocked on the closed door that she might come face to face with Zuko, for which she hadn't prepared herself. Luckily, it had been Iroh who opened the door and she found out that Zuko wasn't there yet. At that, she heaved a sigh of relief.

Now, she could feel his eyes on her, following her every move. What the hell did he want? _He better not come close and talk to me_. Because she wasn't sure what would happen if he did. She would either slap his face, preferably the scarred side, or she might pull him closer and beg him to kiss her again. To let her feel that amazing, safe, desired feeling again, so she would forget, if only for a little while, how horrible she felt. But Zuko didn't come close and talk to her, after that first look, he turned away and went to work.

Somehow, they got through the day without being in ten feet radius of each other. It was non-verbal but mutually agreed that if Katara was at the register, Zuko would be serving customers. And when Zuko was at the bar, picking up tea from Iroh, Katara was on the other side of the room. They both did their bests to hide how they felt, and to some extent, it worked. The customers didn't notice anything unusual, but Iroh definitely picked up on the signs both teens were radiating.

When Zuko came to him again to give him a new order, Iroh prevented his nephew from leaving immediately.

"Is there something wrong Zuko?" Iroh saw a flash of something in his nephew's eyes before Zuko managed to repress it.

Zuko knew better than to lie to his uncle, but he couldn't tell the truth either, not while Katara was in hearing distance. He heaved a deep sigh and looked his uncle straight in the eyes. "Yes Uncle, something _is_ wrong, but I can't talk about it, not now" he pleaded with his eyes, pleaded that Iroh would ask further questions.

Iroh saw the plea and refrained from asking further questions. He turned back to his tea and let his nephew escape. For now. However, that didn't keep him from asking Katara the same thing.

"Are you alright Katara? I perceive there is something wrong" he asked as she was at the bar.

Her head shot up and she looked stricken. "Why… why would you think something is wrong?" she stuttered.

"You look troubled" Iroh clarified.

She lowered her eyelids and murmured to her tray. "I can deal with it" without looking up, she went back to work.

Now, Iroh was even more certain that something was not quite right between his employees. He didn't know what, but he was determined to find out. But how? The only way to harvest information was to get them talking. But neither of them wanted to talk to him. _Maybe they would talk to each other?_ For that they had to be alone, at least, think that they were. So now, the question was: how to get them alone?

After some contemplation, a plan began to form in Iroh's head. He looked at it from different angles, weighing the pros and cons against each other. _Yes, that would do nicely._ He thought to himself. Quickly he slipped into the kitchen to set things in order. He was back behind the bar before anyone noticed his absence. With a self-satisfied smile he patiently waited until his plan would works its wonders.

That afternoon, shortly after the last customer had left, Zuko walked into the kitchen to turn on the dishwasher. But the dishwasher didn't respond in any way.

"Crap!" he muttered to himself, just as Iroh walked in.

"What is it Zuko?" Iroh asked.

"The dishwasher doesn't work. At least, it doesn't respond to anything I do"

"That is unfortunate indeed" Iroh walked over to where Zuko stood glaring at the dishwasher. "But the dishes must be cleaned. It'll have to be done by hand" he put his hand on Zuko's shoulder.

Zuko muttered something under his breath and walked over to the sink, where he turned on the faucet. As the hot water flowed, Iroh turned and walked back to the main room of the Jasmine Dragon.

"Katara, could you give Zuko a hand with the dishes? Apparently the dishwasher has denied us his services"

Katara looked up from straightening a table cloth. Some emotion Iroh couldn't name flitted over her face before she nodded and walked to the kitchen.

Zuko turned to face her when she entered. "Do you want to wash or dry?" he asked.

"I'll wash" she answered curtly. She didn't look him in the eye.

They worked in silence for a while, washing and drying the teacups, saucers and cutlery. With time, the tension grew until Zuko couldn't stand it anymore.

"Katara, this is ridiculous"

For the first time that day, she looked at him. But her eyes were could as they met his.

"What is?"

"You pretending like I'm not here, like I don't exist to you"

"Well, right now, you don't" she stated coldly.

"You didn't think so when you kissed me last Monday" it was a low blow, he knew it. But even her wrath directed at him was better than her current cold and uncaring demeanor.

Katara's hands stilled in the water and she turned on him with furious eyes.

"Excuse me? When _I_ kissed _you_? You where the one who kissed me!"

"You were a very willing participant as I recall"

"I was not!" she yelled indignantly.

Zuko let out a humorless laugh. "You are a terrible liar Katara. You didn't mind in the least when I kissed you"

SLAP!

He felt a stinging pain on his left cheek. She was fast, he hadn't seen her hand move until it connected with his face. Now she was shooting daggers at him with her eyes, her hands balled to fists at her sides.

"What part of a girl running away after a kiss don't you get? I did mind! I have a boyfriend!"

"Did you just slap me?" he asked menacingly.

"Don't change the subject!" she was well and truly livid now.

"Oh, now you want to talk? You've ignored me all day!"

"You started this conversation, you finish it!"

They were standing toe to toe, glaring at each other.

Zuko was the first to back down. He let out the breath he unconsciously held in. "I can't say I'm sorry I kissed you, because I'm not. But I am sorry if I upset you"

She raised an eyebrow. "If? You upset me, and you know it"

"And I apologize for it" he stated sincerely.

She looked him straight in the eye, looking for a sign of possible deceit. When she didn't find it, she let out her breath as well. With it, the tension holding her body dissipated as well. "I suppose that's all I can ask for"

"It is" he smirked.

She gave him an exasperated look but smiled and turned back to her chore. They finished cleaning the dishes in an amiable mood.

The next evening, Katara stood with her brother and Suki in the school parking lot. All the student who had permission to go on the Ember Island trip were gathered and talking excitedly. Mr. Bumi did his best to create order in the chaos, but the students were to wound up to pay proper attention. Eventually Mr. Bumi gave up his current tack and climbed on top of the low stone wall that encircled the parking lot.

"Listen up you young sprigs!" he bellowed. "Either you listen up, or I call off the whole trip!"

That did the trick and the cacophony changed into low murmurs.

"Good. I want all of you to stand with the people of your assigned groups. You will be spending the entire week with these people, so you better get used to them. You will be housed as a group and will have assignments that you have to work out together. You will also sit together on the bus, so I can give each group their assignments, without there being any mix ups. You got that?"

There was a murmur of assent among the students.

"Very well, now make sure your group is complete and then we can be on our way" he stepped down from the wall and made his way to the waiting bus.

"So… Who was in our group again?" Sokka asked to Katara and Suki.

Katara rolled her eyes. Only her brother could ask something like that. Suki giggled, as if he had just told a funny joke.

"Ehm, let's see. There is you, me, Katara" she counted on her fingers. "Then there is Aang, you know, the kid with the weird arrow hat fetish, and Toph, whom is maybe blind, but I don't know for sure, because she doesn't act like she is" she tapped her lips. "There was another one, who was it?"

"Zuko" Katara reminded her friend.

"Ah of course. How could I forget him?" Suki wondered, mostly to herself.

"Zuko? Principal Ozai's son? He's in our group?" Sokka whined.

"Got a problem with that?" came a menacing voice from directly behind Katara.

The two siblings and Suki quickly turned, so they were facing the principal's son, who was presently glaring at Sokka. He had his weekend bag slung over his shoulder, which made his red hoodie tighten around his chest. For some reason, that was the only thing Katara could focus on.

Sokka made a sound that was composed of a nervous laugh, a cough, and something Katara couldn't name.

"Of course not! We'll have loads of fun!" Sokka put his arm around Zuko's shoulders in a consoling gesture.

Zuko stared at him with absolutely no emotion on his face, and Sokka quickly withdrew his arm.

"So… Now all we need is the freshmen. You know, they're always so lazy" Sokka said.

"Who're you calling lazy Snoozles?" Toph said as she walked up.

Katara and Suki exchanged glances and tried to hide their mirth at hearing the nickname. Sokka was speechless.

"Snoozles?" Zuko raised an eyebrow and looked at the younger girl.

"Yeah. Don't think I didn't notice him sleeping in class when I happened to walk by" Toph pointed an accusing finger at Sokka.

Before he could defend himself, he was interrupted by a new arrival.

"Hey Katara!" Aang greeted enthusiastically. He wormed his way into the group and stood in between Zuko and Katara. He gazed up at her with big puppy dog eyes.

"Er, hi Aang" Katara greeted him back, feeling very uncomfortable under Aang's stare.

Zuko coughed and drew Aang's attention to the rest of the group. They were all staring at him, with small smiles across their lips, as if they were somehow laughing at him. Aang realized he just made a very stupid and obvious move by only greeting Katara. "And hello to the rest of you of course" he said with a slight shade a scarlet staining his cheeks.

"Glad to be acknowledged as well" Toph commented dryly, causing the scarlet to intensify.

At her words, the other all laughed.

"Shall we go to the bus?" Aang asked, trying to make them stop laughing.

Katara took pity on him. "Yes, let's get on the bus, we can still pick our places. If we wait much longer, that won't be the case"

The laughter abated and they grabbed their respective bags and walked to the bus. They stashed their bags into the bag compartment and walked over to Mr. Bumi, who was distributing assignments and housing information to the different groups.

"You're sure your group is complete?" Mr. Bumi asked as their group stepped up to him.

"Yes sir" Suki said.

"Who of you is the responsible one I can give these papers to, without them getting lost?" he asked while he was sifting through the enormous pile of paper in his arms.

They exchanged glances, until finally, Sokka pushed Katara forward.

"She can keep them safe Mr. Bumi"

Katara glared at her brother, but took the papers Mr. Bumi held out to her anyway. Secretly she didn't mind that much, at least now she wasn't dependent on someone else when it came down to useful information.

"Let us get on the bus then!" Aang said excitedly. "Katara, will you sit next to me?" he asked her and gave her another puppy dog eye look.

Inwardly Katara shuddered. She really, really didn't want to spend the entire journey to Ember Island sitting next to Aang. "I'm sorry Aang, but I already promised Suki I'd sit next to her" she lied.

"Really?" Suki asked. "I don't re-" she stopped suddenly as she felt Katara elbow in her ribs. "Oh right, silly me, almost forgot. Sorry Aang, but I really can't make this trip with Katara next to me" she received another jab of Katara's elbow, so she closed her mouth.

Aang looked disappointed for a moment before he cheered up again. "That's alright, there is always the journey back right?"

"Maybe, I don't know yet Aang" Katara was sure not to agree with him.

"Come on Twinkletoes" Toph cut in. "I'll sit next to you" with that she entered the bus.

After a quick look around, Aang followed her into the bus.

Suki coughed. "Very subtle Katara"

"What was I supposed to do? He is just so… so… I don't know, but I just don't want to spend the entire bus ride next to him ok?"

Suki gave her a disapproving look before entering the bus.

She didn't know why, but Katara quickly glanced at Zuko before she followed her best friend. The expression on his face was difficult to decipher._ Is he _smug_?_ Katara wondered as she saw the small upward curve of his lips.

Suki had chosen to sit in the row in front of Toph and Aang and was now sitting next to the window. Katara let herself slide in the seat next to her. Sokka entered the bus and took the place on the other side of the aisle across from Suki and Katara. Zuko was the last of their group and took the place next to Sokka.

Slowly the bus filled with students and shortly after the bus driver laid down some rules they were on their way.

At first one had to shout to be heard over the noise, but it was late and they would be driving through the night. The noise came down to soft murmurs as some of the students fell asleep.

Before she felt to sleep, Katara sifted through the papers Mr. Bumi had given her. There were some papers stapled together and after a quick look, she discerned it were the school assignments they had to perform during the week. Another piece of paper depicted a map of the island, she studied it for a while, Ember Island wasn't very big, you could walk around it within a day. She located their allotted house, it was practically _on_ the beach. And the main town area on the island which wasn't that large at all.

"Anything interesting on their?"

Katara's head shot up at Zuko's voice. He was regarding her with interest as he pulled his headphones out of his ears.

"Just a map of the island" she looked down at the map. "I thought Ember Island would be larger, but it seems to me like you can walk the perimeter of it in a day"

Zuko chuckled. "Most people think Ember Island bigger than it actually is. It's because they've heard so many stories about it. But in truth, you _can_ walk the perimeter within a day"

"You've been there? When? What was it like?"

"Yes, a long time ago, and I didn't harvest any good memories from it" his voice, just like his eyes had turned cold.

Katara looked at him and wondered what had happened that he didn't like it. She was about to ask about it, but Zuko cut her off before she even opened her mouth.

"Anyway, good night. I hoped to catch up on some sleep" without waiting for her reply, he put his headphones back on and closed his eyes.

Katara stared at him for a while, but eventually put away the papers and followed his example.

**A/N:** I hope you liked this chapter. I think I'm going to be really busy next week, so please be patient with me when it comes to posting new chapters. I am doing the best that I can :P anyway, keep R&R'ing!


	10. Chapter 10 - Ember Island Part I

**A/N:** Oh My God! I am so ashamed of myself to take _this_ long in updating. I hope you all can forgive me for the long wait, but the hard fact is, being very busy + no inspiration in the middle of a chapter = a very long wait. So I hope you like it.

It was early Monday morning when the bus holding the St. Clamence High School students landed on Ember Island. Everyone was restless and on edge after being cooped up for so long a time. When the bus finally stopped on a parking lot after disembarking the ferry, all the students were edging to get out and taste the fresh air. Before they could so much as grab their hand luggage, Mr. Bumi called them to order.

"Listen up all of you, because what I'm about to say is important. As I told you last night, you will be spending your time with the group you're assigned to, so make sure you have each other's phone numbers. Because you're expected to call your group members _before_ you call the teachers when you get lost. Of course, if there is an emergency, we want to know about it, so my number is on one of the sheets of paper I gave you. If you have any questions, ask your group, as a group you have all the information you need. Is that clear?" he asked in a raised voice.

"Yes, Mr. Bumi" the students chorused.

"All right then, have fun all of you" with that Mr. Bumi grabbed his own bag and was off the bus within seconds.

Katara stayed in her seat while other students began piling out of their seats, into the aisle and off the bus. Soon there was a jam at the door and at the bag compartment as well. Zuko stayed in his seat as well, he had no desire to be squashed in between students who couldn't find their bags. Sokka however, wanted to get off the bus as soon as possible and was nagging at Zuko to move already. Zuko tried to ignore him, but it was easier said than done with an obnoxious voice hollering is his left ear. He turned away from Sokka and instead looked to the other side of the aisle. His eyes briefly met Katara's before she looked elsewhere. His gaze shifted to the seat behind hers and saw that Toph was just as impatient as Sokka appeared to be. But since Aang, who sat next to her, sat at the window seat, she had no one to stop her from barreling out of her seat and down the aisle. She pushed people aside that got in her way, leaving a path of cursing students in her wake. Aang followed her out, but where Toph had just kept walking a straight line, not caring if she hit something or someone, Aang flitted through the aisle, light on his feet and it seemed like he never touched any of the other students cluttering the aisle.

When the worst of the crush was over, Zuko finally relented to Sokka's pleas and removed himself from the path of the overeager junior. Rolling his eyes at Sokka's departing back, he made his way off the bus. He grabbed his bag and joined Sokka, Aang and Toph. Several minutes later, Katara and Suki joined them as well.

"Ok, we're complete. Now what?" Suki asked the group at large.

They all looked at each other in indecision. Toph was the first to speak.

"Shouldn't we get each other's phone numbers? And Mr. Bumi's as well?" she rolled her eyes at the obviousness.

"Right" Katara pulled her phone from her pants' pocket. "I already programmed Mr. Bumi's number in my phone" she pressed several buttons on her phone and recited Mr. Bumi's number. The others inserted it into their phones as she spoke.

They took turns reciting their phone numbers to the others, and for a while the only thing that could be heard was the pressing of buttons and pinging of phones. When it was Aang's turn, he mumbled something and stared at his shoes.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't catch that" Sokka looked at Aang.

The color of Aang's cheeks turned from normal to slight pink. Toph rolled her eyes again as a slight smile played upon her lips.

"He doesn't have a phone" she stated in a dry tone.

"Toph!" Aang shouted as the color of his cheeks changed again. This time from slight pink to bright red.

"You don't have a phone?" Sokka asked incredulous.

"How can you live without a phone?" Suki said unbelievingly.

Aang shrugged. "Easy enough, actually. I never had a phone, Gyatso says the radiation is bad for you"

With exception of Toph, who had already known, they all stared slack jawed at Aang. As if he just told them he could bend the elements.

Zuko was the first to recover. He closed his mouth and coughed once. "Ok. So what's on the agenda next?" he asked.

Katara shook herself and looked down on Mr. Bumi's papers she was still holding. "I suggest we go to our assigned house, settle in and then we'll see from there."

They all agreed and fifteen minutes later they entered their assigned house. It turned out that they had to share two bedrooms with each other, so the girls took the bedroom with an magnificent view of the beach and the ocean beyond, while the guy's took the room on the opposite side of the hallway, which looked out upon a forest scene. In addition to the bedrooms, there was a bathroom containing a shower, sink and toilet, and a spacious kitchen.

Katara was the first to finish settling in and wet into the kitchen and sat at the wide table that could easily seat ten people. She spread Mr. Bumi's papers out in front of her. Fifteen minutes later Sokka found her with her hands in her hair in desperation.

"What are you doing?" he asked her.

"I'm trying to make a logical plan out of all these assignments. But I'm not good at it at all" she snapped back frustrated.

"Mind if I take a look?"

She wasn't sure Sokka could take this mess and turn it into something resembling a logical plan, but she had reached a point where she was about to rip the papers apart in frustration. Maybe it was better to let Sokka have at it. "Be my guest" she shoved the papers in his direction.

He sat down across from her and studied the papers. "Do you have a pen and a clean sheet of paper?" he asked after a while.

She pushed her notebook and pen his way, wondering what he wanted to wright down. As far as she knew, it was a hopeless cause.

"Thanks" Sokka began scribbling in his unreadable handwriting.

Katara decided to leave him to it and left the kitchen. She wandered around the house and found Suki in the girls' bedroom.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she saw Suki throwing her clothes around the room.

"I'm looking for my white-and-green tank top. I'm sure I packed it, but I can't find it" Suki replied, pulling another piece of clothing from her bag.

"Why do you want it?" Katara asked.

A blush found its way on Suki's face as she looked at her best friend. "I just want to look good"

"You look good enough as it is. What aren't you telling me?" Katara placed her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrow. But a mischievous smile played upon her lips.

The blush on Suki's face intensified. She pressed her lips together to keep from spilling her guts. It didn't work. "There's just this guy…"

"Oh" Katara demeanor changed from mischief to interest. "Who?"

Suki shook her head. "It doesn't matter, he doesn't notice me. So it is of no interest to you"

By the look on her friend's face Katara could tell Suki wasn't going to give any more information. "Just know that I'm here if you want to talk about it" she reassured. With that she left Suki to her business.

Zuko stood outside with Toph and Aang. They were standing in a circle around a could be fire pit.

"I'm telling you, a fire at night is nice" Zuko told the two freshmen.

Aang looked doubtful. "But what if we can't control it? It can get out of hand so easily"

"Don't be such a wimp Aang. That's what the stones are for" Toph indicated the circle of stones in the sand.

It was clear that Aang still had his reservations as he looked around, searching for an excuse. When he saw Katara exit the house, his face cleared and he called out to her. "Hey Katara!" he waved enthusiastically.

Katara looked up at the sound of her name and saw the trio standing a way of on the beach. She joined them and smiled. "What are you guys doing here?" she asked. Meanwhile, she tried her best not to look at Zuko. She wanted to, badly, but last night he had made it clear he wasn't interested whatsoever. So she kept her eyes either on Aang or Toph, or on the ground. Anywhere but on Zuko, who had taken off his hoody and was now wearing a white t-shirt that showed his muscles very nicely.

"We were discussing the benefits of a fire pit. You know, to light a fire when it gets dark" Zuko said as he looked down on Katara's bent head. Why wouldn't she look at him? It was very clear she went out of her way to avoid it.

"A fire? Is that safe?" Katara asked.

"Precisely my point!" Aang said. "It's not. We're just a bunch of teenagers, we're not responsible enough to light a fire!"

Zuko looked at Aang in disbelief. Was the kid afraid of fire or something? Whatever had happened? _Hell, I got my face burned, but I'm not afraid of fire._ Zuko thought to himself.

"Aang, come on. Give us some credit. We are all mature enough to know we shouldn't play with fire. I think if we keep it from getting too big, a fire at night would be nice" Katara consoled Aang.

"Besides, think of all the horror stories we can tell each other. A fire would make it so much more fun!" Toph was all excitement.

Aang looked around, seeing he was outnumbered in his opinion about the fire. "Fine, but when it gets out of hand, I will tell you all, I told you so"

Zuko rolled his eyes. The kid was _really_ fearful of fire for some reason.

Right then, Sokka came out of the house looking for everyone.

"I've figured out a plan on what we have to do this week, and when is the best time to do it. Where's Suki?" he asked as he looked around the circle.

Almost simultaneously, Suki stormed out of the house, bright red blotches staining her cheeks. "I'm here, just finished freshing up. What's the plan?"

Katara stared at her best friend. What was up with her? She acted like she was infatuated or something. She just wouldn't stop talking. Taking pity on Suki, Katara decided to cut short the stream of words that flowed out of Suki's mouth.

"Sokka was about to explain it to us, so if you're quiet, we could get a move on" Toph cut in before Katara even finished her thought.

They all turned back to Sokka, who cleared his throat.

"There are certain things that are expected we do for ourselves, so let's start with dividing tasks. First of all, we have to make our own food. We have to keep the house clean and leave it as we found it. So who is willing to be our cook?" he looked at everyone in the circle and ended on his sister.

Katara saw it coming and deliberately avoided her brother's intense gaze.

"Well, I can't cook to save my live, so you would be doing yourselves a favor by not making me cook" Toph smirked.

"Me too, I know how to make a fruit pie, but that is hardly a good meal. But I should say that I'm a vegetarian, I don't eat meat"

"That counts me out as cook, I only cook meat" Sokka said, not at all put down.

"I haven't cooked a day in my live. I'm normally out training when my mother is cooking dinner, I am only just in time to eat it" Suki said apologetic.

That left only Zuko and Katara. Zuko looked at the girl next to him. "We have a housekeeper who cooks for us, so I don't have that much practice either"

Katara steeled herself before looking him in the eye. When she did, it was clear he was apologizing to her. _Why would he apologize?_ She thought to herself. She took a deep breath and let it out in a gush.

"I guess, I'm the cook then. But if I do the cooking, I expect someone else to do the dirty dishes" she cast a critical eye around the group. She wasn't their mother, she shouldn't have to take care of them, they could do something for their own as well.

"Thanks sis, you're a great cook" Sokka said and wrote something on the papers he was holding. "Anyone who wants to volunteer for washing the dishes?"

Silence greeted his question. No one really wanted to do chores. This was a holiday after all.

"I'll do it" Zuko said after a quick look at Katara.

"Great! Now, I suggest we all keep our own spaces as clean as possible, and that everyone is responsible for their own mess" Sokka wrote something else on the papers.

They all agreed with a murmur.

"Now that's taken care of, what do we have to do today?" Aang asked.

"As there are a few things the teachers expect us to do, and one of those things we can only do once, means that it is fixed. We have to see a play. And the only time we can see that play is Wednesday evening. Other than that, we are free to do what we want, when we want"

Zuko looked up at the mention of a play. There was only one theatrical company on Ember Island, and they were horrible. "A play? Please tell me it's not from the Ember Island Players"

"Yeah, how did you know?" Sokka asked, looking at Zuko with wonder.

"They're the only actors on Ember Island. My mother used to take us to see them, they butchered _Love Among the Dragons_ every year."

"You've been here before?" Aang asked, looking up at Zuko.

Zuko snorted, but refrained from further answering the question.

"What's the play in theater now?" Suki looked expectantly at Sokka.

"It's called _The Boy in the Iceberg_. Kinda weird title if you ask me"

"What's it about?" Toph didn't at all look interested.

"Listen to this" Sokka cleared his voice. "_The Boy in the Iceberg_ is a new production from acclaimed playwright Pu-on Tim, who scoured the globe gathering information on the Avatar, from the icy South Pole to the heart of Ba Sing Se. His sources include singing nomads, pirates, prisoners of war, and a surprisingly knowledgeable merchant of cabbage"

"Wait, did you just say the Avatar?" Aang asked, suddenly very excited.

"Uhm, yeah I did. What is that anyway, an Avatar?"

"Are you kidding?" Now Aang was all excitement. "Don't you guys know the stories about the Avatars?" he looked around the circle, but no one showed any sign of recognition.

Toph even yawned in boredom. "I'm sure it's a fascinating story, a story that should be told around a campfire. All the more reason to make one tonight" she wiggled her eyebrows at Aang.

For a moment Aang looked disappointed. "So what are we going to do today" he asked, changing the subject.

"Well, we are supposed to visit the waterfalls, so my plan was to do that today" Sokka looked at his papers.

_Oh no_. Zuko pushed down his thoughts. He never actually saw the waterfalls, due to a certain trip to the hospital. Next to that, the walk to the falls didn't hold that good memories either. But he hid his feelings for the rest of the group and pretended to be just as excited as Sokka explained that the waterfalls were famous on Ember Island.

Katara turned to Zuko. "You've been to Ember Island before, have you seen the waterfalls?"

Zuko looked in her sapphire blue eyes before answering. "I haven't, by the time my father considered me old enough for the hike to the waterfalls, the trip was cut short" he stated.

"Cut short? What does that mean?"

Zuko cast Aang, who had voiced the question, a frigid look. "It means that I never saw the waterfalls" he nearly shouted, making it clear to everyone that he did _not_ want to talk about it.

Aang held up both his hands defensively. "Ok, sorry I asked" he apologized.

Zuko turned away from the group, trying to regain his composure. If this was how he acted at the mention of the waterfalls, how would he behave when they were actually there? He had no idea, he just knew that he had to keep his emotions in check.

Unknown to him, Katara looked at his turned back, a look of concern in her eyes. It was clear there was something wrong, but she didn't know what. And she was pretty sure that Zuko would not divulge any information to her, or anyone else. She sighed. Even though he had acted like a jerk last night, she still wanted to be able to comfort him any way she could. The problem was, he wouldn't let her. Not in this mood.

"Hey Katara, you coming?"

Katara was pulled away from her thoughts by Suki's question.

"What?" she asked as she looked at her friend and the rest of the now dissipating circle.

"The waterfalls? Ring a bell? Sokka just said it was a great place to swim, so we're all getting our swimsuits"

"Oh, right" Katara hoped her heated cheeks didn't show to clearly.

Zuko turned around and walked to the house. In passing, his eyes locked with Katara's for a moment, and the heat intensified. _Had he just seen I was thinking about him?_ Katara thought to herself as she followed Suki to the girls' bedroom to get her bikini.

Ten minutes later everyone was ready to go. Katara had changed and now wore her bikini underneath her blue tank top and beige Bermuda shorts. The shoulder bag she was carrying held her blue shaded sarong and beach towel. She was still rummaging in her bag as she walked into something, or rather, someone.

Startled, she looked up, right into Zuko's golden gaze. "I'm sorry" she quickly apologized. "I do seem to recall that you said something along the lines of us having to stop meet like this. I just wasn't looking where I was going. I really didn't mean to walk into you again" she was rambling, she knew it, but she couldn't stop herself.

Zuko looked down at her. She was practically in his arms, and he had a hard time to remain immobile. _God, she looks beautiful with a blush_. He wanted to move his hand and brush against the warmth of her cheek. But he knew she would bolt if he touched her.

"It's ok, I don't really mind meeting like this" he smiled down at her and saw the blush becoming even more pronounced.

Katara ducked her head and took a step back. She nodded and walked past him. What was she supposed to say to that? So instead of answering, she just ran. Not a very clever move, but the only one she could think of.

When she was outside, she saw Sokka , Aang and Toph all ready to go. Behind her, she felt Zuko exit the house. Two minutes later Suki joined them, and they were off to the famous Ember Island waterfalls.

**A/N:** Hopefully you liked it, but wether you did or not, I'd still like to know, so R&R. I promise the next chapter will be updated sooner.


	11. Chapter 11 - Ember Island Part II

**A/N:** So here, as promised, a much sooner update than the last chapter. Enjoy!

The hike to the Ember Island waterfalls was for Zuko painful, pleasurable and frustrating. Painful because the memories of that fateful day five years back kept assailing him at every turn, pleasurable because Katara was walking in front of him, which gave him something to look at apart from the painful reminders surrounding him. And frustrating because Aang was walking next to her, keeping up a constant chatter about how beautiful the scenery was and occasionally throwing in a complement directed at her.

"Look Katara" Aang pointed at a group of white-and-red flowers. "That is the white dragon bush. Nearly as beautiful as you"

_It's the white jade bush._ Zuko thought to himself, fighting down the memory of uncle Iroh wanting to make tea of the poisonous flower.

"Are you sure Aang?" Katara asked. She was studying the flower. "I seem to recall that the white dragon bush has red petals" she reached out towards the flower.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you" Zuko quickly said, before her hand came in contact with the delicate white petals.

She looked up at him, a question clear in her eyes. "Why not?"

"Because that particular flower happens to be very poisonous"

"The white dragon bush isn't poisonous!" Aang said indignantly.

Zuko turned to Aang, who was looking petulantly back. "You're right, in a way" Zuko placated him. "The white dragon bush isn't poisonous. But this" he pointed at the flower. "Is not the white jade bush"

"Well, if you are so all knowing, why don't you tell us what it is, since you're so sure it's not the white dragon bush" Aang retorted crisply.

"It's the white jade bush" Zuko simply said.

Katara gasped and quickly retracted her hand. The blood drained from Aang's face, before turning bright red with shame.

"Wow, thanks Aang. So I am as beautiful as a deadly flower?" Katara asked dryly, trying to make light of the situation.

Aang turned to her. "I'm so sorry Katara, I really thought it was the white dragon bush. I wouldn't dream of comparing you to such a horrible plant! Will you please forgive me?" he turned his big gray eyes at her, beseeching her to forgive him.

"It's all right Aang, thanks to Zuko, there is nothing to forgive" Katara reassured him. Then she turned to Zuko. "Thank you for warning me"

Zuko felt the heat rise to his face at the look of pure gratefulness shining from Katara's eyes. "Don't mention it" he mumbled and looked away. What was it about those eyes, those beautiful blue eyes that made him feel so self-conscious? He cleared his suddenly dry throat and looked ahead. Sokka, Suki and Toph were walking in the distance. "We should catch up with the others"

Aang followed his gaze and quickly ran after the trio in front of them. After ten paces he suddenly stopped and turned around, to Katara. "Are you coming?" he asked.

Katara looked at the boy, than at the man next to her. "You go on ahead, we'll catch up with you" she wanted to talk to Zuko privately.

Aang's gaze shifted from her to Zuko, back to her, and final stopped at Zuko. Zuko made sure his face showed absolutely no emotion, most of all not the pleased surprise at the knowledge that Katara rather stayed with him, than to go with Aang.

Finally, with a slight frown on his face, Aang turned again and ran away.

Zuko looked down at Katara and found her already staring up at him. "What?" he said gruffly.

"I meant it, when I thanked you" she said quietly.

"And I meant it, when I said 'don't mention it'. Anyone with the knowledge would have stopped you" he shrugged.

"Zuko, the white jade bush is deadly, if it wasn't for you, I might be dying right about now"

He looked her in the eyes, and saw a flicker of something. Fear? But Katara wasn't afraid of anything. No longer able to look at her, without taking her in his arms, he turned away. She was right, if he hadn't stopped her, she would be writhing on the ground in pain. The knowledge that he had almost lost her, made him want to hold her close and never let her go. "We should really catch up with the others" he tried to divert himself.

Her tanned hand on his arm stopped him in his tracks. "Really, Zuko. Thank you" she said in a soft voice.

The tone of her voice made him look at her again. When he did, he saw that the tears he thought he heard in her voice were visible in her eyes. With a poorly suppressed growl he yanked her in his arms and close against him. She lay her head against his shoulder and cried softly. All he could do was hold her, stroke her hair and back soothingly and murmur reassuring words in her ear.

"It's ok. Everything is fine. I will never let anything happen to you" he spoke the words written on his heart.

Slowly, the tears stopped flowing ad Katara turned her face to his. But her eyes didn't reach further than his mouth.

The want, no _need_, to kiss her soft lips slammed into him low and hard. But the last time he kissed her, she ran away from him, something he didn't want to happen again. Aside from that, she was very vulnerable right now and if he were to kiss her, he would be taking advantage of her. And that was something he couldn't live with. If, or hopefully, when he kissed her again, he wanted her to be excruciatingly aware of the fact that it was him she was kissing, not just some guy who was comforting her. So instead of kissing her, he opted for asking her a question. "Are you ok now?"

Katara looked at his lips, watching the words form, and couldn't only nod mutely. She looked up further and sapphire blue eyes met fiery gold ones. _Will he kiss me again?_ She wondered. A part of her wanted him to, badly. But a little voice in the back of her head screamed at the impropriety.

From the corner of her eyes she saw his hand move, and she felt his fingers on her cheek, wiping away the traces of her tears. Her heartbeat accelerated, at the thought that he really was going to kiss her. She knew that if he did, she wouldn't stop him.

"We should really go after the others" his voice sounded so low, so had to concentrate to catch the words.

Again she nodded, and took a reluctant step back. She felt his arms fall away from her, and a sense of loss filled her entire being. Without a word, they both turned and followed in the wake of the others.

The waterfalls were truly amazing. Even Zuko, who had dreaded coming, in fear of the memories, had to admit that the waterfalls were breath taking. They stood at the edge of the lake, looking at the gallons of water falling down from the rocks towering above. The closer they got to the falling water, the louder the sounds of water coming in contact with the surface of the lake. At the base of the waterfall, they even had to shout to be heard over the roaring water.

"We should climb up to the top and see the view" Sokka shouted.

"How do we get to the top?" Suki yelled back.

"There is a path of sorts that way" Toph pointed to the left.

The followed her pointing finger and saw a formation of rocks blocking the way. They would have to climb over it to reach the rocky path that led to the cliff top.

"Well, have fun with the climb. I'm gonna sit this one out" Toph stated.

"Why?" Suki voiced the question on everyone's mind.

"Because I'm tired. Plus views have never really appealed to me. So I'll just wait here until you get back"

"But we can't leave you alone. We agreed to be with at least one other group member" Katara said.

"That's ok" Toph shrugged. "Twinkletoes will stay with me"

"I will?" Aang asked.

"Yes, you will" Toph turned her blank eyes to him.

"I mean, I will" Aang quickly said, and the blank eyes left his face. Even he, the member of their group who knew Toph the best, felt uncomfortable when she turned those eyes on him.

"Can you keep an eye on our stuff then?" Sokka asked. "It seems like a pretty hard climb, so it will make it easier if we leave our bags here"

"Sure" Toph walked to a spot on the shore of the lake, away from the waterfall and plopped down on the grassy bank.

The others followed suit and dumped their bags in the grass.

"Let's be off" Sokka said excitedly as he looked to the top of the waterfall.

Sokka, Suki, Katara and Zuko made their way back to the base of the waterfall and the rock formation.

When they were alone, Aang sat down next to Toph and looked at her profile.

"You don't look tired" he said half accusingly. He wanted to go with the others, to be near Katara and make sure she really forgave him for his blunder with the flower. But thanks to Toph, he was now at the edge of the lake, while Katara was making her way to the top of the waterfall.

"I'm not" Toph shrugged.

"Then why are we sitting here?" Aang asked exasperated, and came to his feet.

"Well, first of all, there is only one way back down from the top of the waterfall and I can't swim. If you look at the path, you will see it isn't very safe at all to go up. Going down is impossible. Secondly, I wanted to talk to you in private"

"About what?"

"About you following Katara like a lost puppy. It's pathetic to watch, even while there are so many other things you go do instead"

"I'm not following her around like a lost puppy!" Aang exclaimed.

"Really, Twinkletoes? Than what are you doing? Because it certainly looks like it"

"I want to make sure she knows I like her"

"You know she has a boyfriend, right? And aside from him, a million other guys mooning after her"

"What? What other guys?" Aang sounded genuinely surprised.

"And here I am thinking I'm the blind one around here! You don't see it? Really?" Toph was losing her patience fast.

"What other guys?" Aang spoke from between gritted teeth.

"Oh, let me see. So first of all, there is that sleezeball of a boyfriend, Jet. Then there is Haru, it has actually been fun to watch him make his intentions clear. I don't know how she doesn't see it" Toph trailed off, lost in thought. She seemed to recall herself moments later and continued. "All the male half of freshmen year look at her in adoration, yourself included. And lastly there is Zuko"

"Zuko?" Aang cut her off.

"Yes, Zuko. Of all the guys, he is the one Katara actually notices. But of course, that could be because he kissed her last week"

"He kissed her?" Aang shouted in indignation.

"No need for you to repeat everything I say, Twinkletoes. I know what is coming out of my mouth" Toph remarked dryly.

Aang ignored her last statement. "What do you mean 'he kissed her'? She has a boyfriend, why would he kiss her?"

Toph heaved a deep sigh. "Well, her having a boyfriend doesn't stop you from trying to impress her" Toph lowered her voice until it resembled Aang's "'Look Katara, that is the white dragon bush, nearly as beautiful as you'" her voice rose to her own tone again. "You do realize you would have poisoned her if it wasn't for Zuko, right?"

Aang sank down in the grass, slightly behind Toph and hung his head. "I know, but I really didn't know it was the white jade bush. Do you think she meant it when she forgave me?" he stared dejectedly down at his folded hands.

"Don't worry, she forgave you. She knows you didn't know, or meant it. But that doesn't mean she wasn't seriously shaken afterward" she paused, but then added. "Luckily, Zuko was there to comfort her"

At the mention of Zuko's name again, Aang's vision clouded. He wanted to be the one to comfort Katara, he didn't want any other guy touching her. Least of all the scarred son of the principal. "I need to make it up to her" Aang resolved. "But how?" he wondered out loud.

"Don't you pay any attention, Twinkletoes? She forgave you, you don't need to make up for anything"

"No, that's not enough. I need to do something that makes it clear how sorry I am, and make her see how I feel about her"

"You can always give her a necklace" Toph said half joking.

"A necklace? But she already has one"

Toph snorted. "Not anymore she doesn't. Someone took it, she was really quite upset about it" Toph slightly turned, so Aang could see her profile. "You really didn't notice the absence of her necklace?"

"No" Aang shook his head.

"I'm beginning to think whether you deserve her" Toph murmured so softly that Aang didn't hear her.

"But now that you said it, she needs a new necklace" Aang mumbled.

"We're in the middle of nowhere. Where are you gonna get her a necklace?"

"I'm going to make one!" Aang looked around them, stood up and walked to a group of flowers. He plucked them from the ground and walked to another group. When he had collected enough flowers, he made his way back to Toph and sat down on the bank next to her. He started weaving the stems of the flowers together.

They sat like that in silence until an exhilarated scream ripped through the air.

Sokka, Suki, Katara and Zuko slowly made their way to the top of the waterfall. From below the path had looked difficult to follow, and once they were on it, on their way up, it turned out eve harder to keep on the right track. About half way up it was clear that the only way to go was up, without the possibility to go back down. However, none of them voiced their findings, in fear actually be correct. So they kept on going, stepping over loose rocks and slippery stones. It took them thirty minutes to reach the top. But when they finally got there, they were rewarded with a view that stole their breaths. At their feet the water fell down in the lake. A small stream taking the excess of water from the lake to the glittering ocean beyond. But between them and the ocean stretched a forest I all shades of green and brown. They could even see a small strip of the beach between the lush green and sparkling gray.

Suki was the first to catch her breath and said what they were all thinking. "Wow"

"It's amazing" Katara whispered.

Even Sokka and Zuko, who were trying to hide their wonder had to agree with the girls.

"I have never seen anything like this before" Sokka said softly.

Zuko shook his head. "Me neither. It really is the most captivating sight of the island"

"Of the island?" Suki snorted. "Try the entire world"

"Easily the entire world" Sokka concurred.

They took their time looking their eyes out, but slowly it became clear that there was no other path leading from or to the top of the falls, other than the one they had followed. And that path wasn't save enough to go down.

"So, how are we going to get down?" Suki finally asked.

They all looked at each other in indecision, until Katara smirked. "There is one way. The most obvious one I think" she walked to the edge of the falls and looked down into the lake.

"Yeah, right" Zuko snorted. "I dare you to jump Katara, I say you're too scared to do it"

A mischievous light came alive in Katara's eyes. "Is that a serious dare? Because if it is, I dare you to jump as well"

"If you jump, I'll jump" Zuko called her bluff, knowing she would never jump from this height.

But the light in her eyes didn't vanish from her eyes as she looked at him, and a small smile played upon her lips as she walked away from the edge. When she was fifteen feet away, she turned around and ran forward. Straight to the edge and jumped. With an exhilarated cry, she plunged down to the water waiting below her in the lake.

"Katara!" Zuko shouted as he saw her fall. There was a big splash as she came in contact with the lake. For ten agonizing seconds, Zuko held his breath until he saw her head resurface again.

Behind him, Suki and Sokka were laughing like crazy. Zuko turned back to them. "Did she really just jump?" he still couldn't believe it, even though he just saw it with his own eyes.

Suki didn't even try to smother her laughter. "That's Katara for you. She never resists a dare"

"Y-you know what this m-means, right?" Sokka hiccupped.

Zuko looked at the pair, nonplussed.

"You have to jump after her" Suki clarified.

Zuko's face paled and looked over the edge again. But he didn't have a choice. He'd said he would jump as well. Again his face shifted to Suki and Sokka, who were doubled over, clutching their sides, trying to ease the pain their laughter caused. He took a deep breath and walked to the same spot where Katara had started running.

"You're really gonna jump after her?" Suki's eyes went wide.

"I said I would, didn't I?" Zuko smirked. And before Sokka or Suki could say anything, before he could change his mind, he took off running and threw himself into the wide open air. _Don't look down, don't look down, don't look down._ He thought to himself. But before he could help it, he looked down. A shout tore its way from his throat. But the feeling of being able to fly took hold and the shout of terror transformed into one of wonder and freedom, mixed in to one. All too soon, the cold water enveloped him and for a moment all he could see were millions of tiny bubbles. He kicked his arms and legs and his head broke through the water surface. He looked around and saw Katara swimming a score of feet away from him. He kicked his legs again and swam in her direction.

As he got closer to her, he saw the look of happiness and a glint of smugness in her eyes.

"Remind me to never dare you to do anything again"

She laughed at him and looked to the top of the cliff. Zuko followed her gaze and together they waited for Suki and Sokka to jump down.

At the top of the cliff, Suki and Sokka were staring at the spot where Zuko just vanished from their sight. Quickly, Suki stopped laughing, suddenly realizing that jumping was indeed the only way down. It was all fun and something to laugh at when someone else had to jump. But it was a different matter entirely when she was required to jump herself. She wasn't scared of the water per se, but more of the enormous expanse of air she had to go through before reaching the water. Ever since she was little she was terrified of heights, a fact no one but her parents were aware of. But now she couldn't push down the nauseating feeling that rolled in her stomach.

Sokka became aware of her predicament as he saw her face pale and take on an unhealthy greenish hue. "Are you ok?" he asked concerned.

Suki couldn't bring herself to open her mouth, afraid her breakfast might decide to come out if she did. So she shook her head and sat down on a rock and put her head between her legs. She took deep breaths and tried not to think of the upcoming jump.

She felt a comforting hand on her shoulder and looked up. Sokka was crouching in front of her with a concerned frown on his face,

"What's wrong?" he looked her deep in her eyes, as f trying to read her deepest fear.

Apparently, he succeeded. "Are you afraid to jump?"

She nodded, still not trusting her stomach.

Sokka scanned their environment. "Maybe, if we're careful, we could climb down the way we came" he mused.

A different feeling that had nothing to do with nausea or fear filled her. "You would really climb down, just to make me feel more comfortable?"

His gaze snapped back to hers. "Of course I would" he stated empathetically.

She smiled at the sincerity in his eyes. But then her smile turned sad. "As much as I appreciate it, I'm afraid that climbing down is not an option. Neither is there another path we can take. The only way down is to jump" she swallowed hard.

For a moment Sokka was quiet, lost in his own thoughts. "Would it help if we jumped together?" he asked softly.

Suki swallowed again. "Again, I appreciate it, but I don't think I can make my leg move, let alone jump"

"I could carry you" and without further ado he took her in his arms, bridal style.

Suki screamed and quickly put her arms around his neck. "Oh Sokka, please _please_ put me down. I'm way to heavy, you'll drop me"

"Nonsense, you're as light as a feather. Just remember not to look down" he walked to the same spot where Katara and Zuko had started their run.

"Wait!" Suki yelled before Sokka could take another step. She looked up at him as he stared down at her. "Please don't tell anyone"

"I wouldn't dream of it" he smirked, and started running.

Suki burrowed her face in his neck and screamed her throat sore, all the way down.

True to his word, Sokka held her close until they came up for air again. "See?" he joked. "That wasn't so bad now, was it?"

She gasped for air and looked into the smiling blue eyes above her. Then she laughed with him. Together with Zuko and Katara they swam to the shore were Toph and Aang were waiting.

That afternoon at the edge of the lake an easy camaraderie was created between all the teenagers.

**A/N:** So I wanted to pay more attention to the other characters, aside from Zuko and Katara, and I think I did a good job at it, but I still want to embellish on the relationships between Suki and Sokka, and Aang and Toph. Hope you liked it. And as always, R&R please.


	12. Chapter 12 - Stories

**A/N:** So I took way too long to write this chapter. But due to illness and moving house, I hope you'll excuse me. But I encourage you to read and to write a review, because they Always really help me and speed up the writing process. So, enjoy.

The days on Ember Island were filled with sun, school assignments and recreational trips all over the island. In the evening, after dinner and when the dishes were done, the group gathered around the fire pit and told each other stories. The first night, Aang told the stories of the Avatars, mainly focusing on the Avatar who ended the hundred year war, and how he accomplished it. But the concept of human beings being able to bend on of the four elements alone was difficult for the others to understand.

"The world was once a very different place from what it is today" Aang began his story. "A long time ago in a different era, the era of the Avatar, some people were able to bend one of the four elements"

"Four? I thought there are a hundred-and-eighteen elements" Toph cut in. "All of them unbendable"

"Back then, they only knew the four elements" Aang replied sharply. "Water, earth, fire and air. Not everyone was able to bend, but those who could, were called benders"

"How apt" Toph remarked dryly.

"Will you stop interrupting me? I'm trying to tell a story" Aang shot her a displeased look.

Toph pretended to lock her lips and threw away the imaginary key.

"So the benders could all control one element. Why some people were able to do so, while others weren't, could not be explained. And no one actually cared. You either were a bender, or you weren't. But even in this era, people needed someone to maintain balance. This someone was the Avatar, able to bend all four elements. No one knew how the Avatar came into being, whether it had been accidental, or deliberate. There was only one Avatar alive, and when he died, he would reincarnate in the next element of the cycle. When the Avatar died, people started searching for the next Avatar. Because, you see, it wasn't always clear from birth whether the new born was a bender, let alone the Avatar. It usually became clear at the age of four or five. But with the Avatar it was custom to start the training of all four elements at the age of sixteen, by then, the Avatar would have already mastered the element he was born into"

"So before his sixteenth birthday, the Avatar was just a bender?" Katara asked for clarification.

"Yes, although, sometimes, when the Avatar was very powerful, he would be able to bend the elements without training, but then it would be accidental. And there was one Avatar who was forced to learn all the elements in one year's time, before he turned sixteen. This young Avatar was an Airbender and he had to save the world before the Fire lord destroyed every other nation"

"Fire lord?" Zuko repeated.

"The head of the Fire nation" Aang explained. "His grandfather had started the hundred year war with the other nations. But even though they had exterminated all the Airbenders, or so they thought, it took them a hundred years to conquer to entire world. That was also because of a comet, which appeared on the sky only once every hundred years, giving all the Firebenders tremendous powers"

"So there was a comet involved?" Sokka interrupted.

"The Fire lord who started the war, patiently waited for the comet and used its power to eradicate all the Airbender"

"Why would he want to wipe out the Airbenders?" Suki asked.

"Because they're a bunch of airheads" Toph smirked.

Aang shot Toph another frown. "The Fire lord and the Avatar had been close friends, as well as they were both from the Fire nation. The Fire lord knew he couldn't win the war without the Avatar's help. But the Avatar refused, and told the Fire lord that if he started the war, that he – the Avatar – would stop him. Years later, the Avatar died, and thus reincarnated into the next element in the cycle, namely…"

"Air" Katara murmured.

"Indeed, Air. The Fire lord knew the Airbenders would never support his cause, so he went in search for the infant Avatar. In his search, he killed all the other Airbenders, but he never found the Avatar"

"So what had happened to him? The Avatar, I mean" Suki asked in awe.

"The story tells it that the Airnomads caught wind of the Fire lord's plans, so they told the young Avatar his fate. That as an Avatar, he would have to stop the Fire lord and bring balance back to the world. The boy, for he was only twelve years old, got scared, the fate of the entire world now rested on his shoulders. So he ran away. One night, a stormy night, he flew out of his window and together with his flying bison took off. No one knows what happened to him. Some say he died in the storm, some say he survived the storm but denied his fate, and some say he and his flying bison got caught in an iceberg and was found a hundred years later near the Southern Watertribe"

"How does anyone get caught in an iceberg? Let alone survive in it for a hundred years?" Zuko asked sceptical.

"Yeah" Sokka joined in. "And what is a flying bison?"

"It's a bison, who can fly, Snoozles" Toph rolled her eyes.

"Bisons can't fly!" Sokka yelled, his voice slightly higher than usual.

"It's a story Sokka, anything can happen in a story" Katara placated her brother. "So, I guess the playwright believes the Avatar survived in the iceberg. But what happened in the mean time?"

"Well, since there was one to stop him, the Fire lord started the war, conquering almost the entire world. He didn't succeed though, there were two major cities he couldn't infiltrate. One was the Northern Watertribe, the other was the capital of the Earth kingdom, Ba Sing Se. But eventuallt even the greatest cities had to bow down for the Fire lord's reign"

"Who cares about some cities? What happened to the Avatar?" Toph asked impatiently.

"After a hundred years in the iceberg, he was found by a Waterbender and her older brother. Upon learning what had happened while he was in the ice, the Avatar decided he must stop the Fire lord and restore balance to the world. But before he could face the Fire lord, he had to master all the elements. So, together with the Waterbender and her brother the journeyed to the Northern Watertribe, to learn to bend water. On their way north the Fire nation got wind of the rumour that the Avatar was somehow, miraculously, alive, and the son of the Fire lord, a banished prince, started to hunt the Avatar's group. The prince thought that if he could capture the Avatar ad bring him to the Fire lord, the Fire lord would lift his banishment and he would be able to return home. So the prince chased the Avatar around the world ad one succeeded in capturing him. But the Avatar's friends were just as determined as the prince, and they saved the Avatar, before the prince could take him to the Fire lord. At this point, they were in the Northern Watertribe, and both the Avatar and his Waterbender had mastered the element. But the prince hadn't been the only one hunting the Avatar. There was an evil admiral who wanted to capture the Avatar as well, and he had thousands of boats under his command, so he lay siege on the Northern Watertribe while the Avatar was there. But the Avatar went into the Avatar state and made the Fire nation fleet flee" Aang was completely lost in his story. To him, it all made perfect sense. To the others less so.

"Hold on" Sokka held up his hands. "Recap. So the Avatar survived a hundred years in the ice?"

"In which time the Fire nation tried to take over the world?" Suki continued.

"And the Avatar was found by a Waterbender and her brother, and the three of them travelled to the Northern Watertribe to learn Waterbending?" Katara said.

"But meanwhile, the banished prince and the evil admiral from the Fire nation were hunting them?" Zuko put in.

"And while the Avatar's group was at the North pole, the admiral attacked them" Toph stated.

Aang nodded and looked around the circle of faces. "Pretty much"

"And what exactly is the Avatar state?" Suki asked.

"It's a state in which the Avatar is the most powerful, but also the most vulnerable. When in the Avatar state, the Avatar was able to bend all the elements at the same time, but much more powerful than a regular bender. But if the Avatar was killed in the Avatar state, the cycle would be broken and the Avatar would cease to exist" Aang explained.

"So what happened after the Avatar drove away the Fire nation fleet? What happened to the admiral? And the banished prince?" Suki was hungry for more information.

"The admiral was killed by the banished prince's uncle"

"The prince had an uncle? Where did he come from?" Sokka asked.

"Since the prince's banishment, he had been traveling, searching for the Avatar, together with his uncle. And the two of them escaped from the north pole. By now, the Fire lord began to think his son was a nuisance, so he sent his daughter, the princess, to kill the prince and their uncle. When The first attempt to take them captive failed, the prince and his uncle were declared traitors of the Fire nation, and they became fugitives. They travelled to Ba Sing Se and started a life there. Meanwhile, the Avatar's group had travelled to the Earth kingdom as well, in search for an Earthbending master to teach the Avatar. Eventually they found one, the best Earthbender ever alive, because not only could she bend earth, she could also bend metal, an extension of earth. But the princess found them, and chased them to Ba Sing Se as well. The princess captured the Waterbender and the prince and they were locked together in a cave. But the Avatar rescued them and the prince, together with the princess turned on the Avatar and the Waterbender and attacked them. Again the Avatar went into the Avatar state, but the princess shot him with lighting! Then the Waterbender saved him with spirit water from the north pole and saved the Avatar and they fled the Earth kingdom while the Avatar recovered from his fatal wounds"

The group stared at Aang as he paused to take a breath, mouths hanging open in disbelief. Zuko cleared his throat and looked around at the other faces. "Am I the only one who doesn't get it? I mean, lightning, healing powers, spirit water?"

Toph rolled her eyes. "Really Sparky, it's not that hard! The Earthbender was able to bend metal, and extension of earth, clearly, lightning is the extension of fire, and healing the extension of water, right Aang?"

"Well, sort of. Lightning is the extension of fire, but healing was a central part of Waterbending. The extension of Waterbending is Bloodbending" Aang explained.

Katara shuddered, partly from the cold, partly from the idea of Bloodbending. So far, she thought the Waterbending ability pretty cool, but Bloodbending seemed like it was just wrong.

"But what happened next?" Suki asked eagerly.

"The princess thought she had killed the Avatar, and together with the prince returned to the Fire nation. But the prince wasn't convinced the Avatar was dead, the Waterbender had shown him the spirit water when they were trapped together. And now that the prince was finally home, he started to question his own way. He was taught that the Fire nation was the greatest nation in the world, but during his banishment he saw a lot of the world and found out that the Fire nation was not as great as it was told to be. So he decided to leave the Fire nation and join the Avatar's group, and defeat the Fire lord. He bided his time until the day of black sun. Meanwhile the Avatar's group called upon their friends to come and attack the Fire nation on the day of black sun. Because Firebenders would be powerless on that day. But the princess somehow discovered their plan, so she and her father hid away in a secret underground metal bunker, so the Avatar couldn't find them. At the same time, the Fire lord and the princess had their troops in place to fight the invasion off and take as many prisoners as possible. When it was clear that the Avatar couldn't find the Fire lord, the invasion forces retreated, only to find out that there was no way back anymore. But of course, the Avatar still had his flying bison, but he couldn't carry everyone, so only the youngest members of the invasion forces got away safely"

"Wow, wow, wow. Easy there, Twinkletoes. I don't think I still follow you. You're going way to fast" Toph complained.

"What's there not to get?" Aang truly seemed bewildered.

"Yeah" Sokka said sarcastically. "It's easy enough. The Avatar was nearly killed by the princess, but was saved by some magic water. He put together a plan to invade the Fire nation when the Firebenders were powerless. But they failed, so they fled… Right?" he looked at Aang for conformation.

"But what about the prince?" Katara asked.

Sokka shrugged. "He turned traitor n his own people when he figured they couldn't win. Bit of a coward if you asked me"

"No" Zuko said. "He started to question the motives behind the war. It was only when he found out that the motives of the Fire nation were all wrong, that he changed sides. He didn't want to win, he wanted to be on the good side, where the motives were right. It must have been hard on him to turn his back on his family like that" He mused.

"So the prince joined with the Avatar and then what happened?" the question came from Suki.

"The prince taught the Avatar Fire bending and together they defeated the Fire lord and the princess. But the Avatar had been taught to value all life, so he couldn't kill the Fire lord. Instead he took away the Fire lord's bending, something he was taught by a giant lion-turtle"

"That's it?" Toph asked when Aang showed no inclination of continue talking. "Just like that? He was shown by a lion-turtle how to take away someone's bending. And he didn't kill the Fire lord? What an anti-climax"

"But who took down the princess? Or did she drop dead on her own accord?" Sokka joked.

"The prince and the Waterbender captured the princess together. Then the prince became Fire lord and the Waterbender married the Avatar. Together the Avatar and the Fire lord restored peace and balance to the world"

"What a lame story" Toph commented.

"Yeah! I mean, where's the action?" Sokka joined in.

"Well, I think it is a good story" Suki said.

Katara thought about it. The underlying thoughts of the story were good. It was just the way it was being told that was very confusing. But she kept her thoughts to herself. There was no need to hurt Aang by telling him his story-telling abilities sucked. Especially since he'd been so nice as to make her a new necklace. She brought her hand up to her throat where the woven strands of grass and flowers encircled her neck. It was very thoughtful of Aang to give her a new necklace, but it wasn't the same as wearing her own necklace. The reason she now wore Aang's necklace was more because she didn't want to hurt his feelings than that she missed wearing her necklace.

From the other side of the fire, Zuko watched as Katara touched the necklace and a piercing jealousy shot through him. It had been his plan to retrieve Katara's necklace from his sister's room, but unfortunately, Azula had stayed in on Saturday night, effectively squashing his hopes of even entering her room. So he now had to watch Katara wear another man's necklace, something she didn't seem to mind in the least. It didn't seem right to him. She was supposed to wear her own necklace! And if that wasn't possible, at least a necklace she had received from him! Zuko thought sullenly.

Because he was watching her, he caught her trying to hide a yawn behind her hand. He looked down at his watch and saw that it was already past midnight. "I think we should call it a day, it's quite late" he said to the others.

A murmur of consent came from the group and they made their way to their beds.

The second night, Suki told her favourite story about an elite warrior team, consisting only of women, who lived on a remote island in the sea, the Kyoshi Warriors. She told them how the warriors lived and how the protected the people on the island. How they dressed in traditional robes, but still couldn't be defeated by anyone who came on their path. How they only attacked those who deserved it, and protected the innocent.

The story wasn't half as long as Aang's had been the night before, so afterwards there was tome for another story. Katara volunteered to tell her favourite story of the Painted Lady.

Zuko was entranced as he listened to her voice. Of course he knew the story, as soon as he had started emailing with the Painted Lady, he had looked up the myth. But the way Katara told it, made it all the more true, more believable, more magical, more everything. This story wasn't very long either and Zuko began to worry about being the next to tell a story.

He didn't mind the storytelling part, but the only story he knew well enough to tell the others was the story of the Blue Spirit, his own favourite. But telling that story would be way to revealing. Katara would instantly make the connection that he was the Blue Spirit she had been relating her secrets to. And that was simply unthinkable. So he kept his lips shut a breathed a silent sigh of relief when Toph told a story about some creatures a cross between badgers and moles, who were blind.

On Wednesday evening there was no time to tell stories, they had to go see the play about the Avatar. Aang could barely sit still the entire evening, his excitement. Suki shared in his excitement and Sokka went along with them. The three of them managed to drive Toph crazy to the point of stomping out of the room with their bouncing about like pinballs. Katara was too busy with dinner to feel any excitement, she was more worried about getting the food on the table in time and the dishes afterwards. Sensing her distress, Zuko offered her his help, and together they banished everyone from the kitchen so they could work in peace.

Zuko looked up from his place at the table where he was chopping vegetables and studied Katara, who had her back to him while she was stirring the soup. Because all he saw of her was her back, he had ample time to look his fill without her knowing about it. He loved to watch her, whether she was working, or relaxing. To him she was the most beautiful girl alive, no matter what she did or wear.

"What do you think about the play?" he said after a while.

Katara shrugged. "I don't know. The way Aang told it was not really clear. But the story itself was good. How about you?" she said without turning around.

"The same, I guess. Aang was a bit too excited, to tell the story right. Your storytelling skills though, are impressive" he complemented her. "It was like we were there, the way you told it"

She turned around and faced him, a slight blush on her face. "Thanks. The Painted Lady is my favourite story"

"How come? It's not really known to a lot of people"

"My mother told me the story when I was little. Ever since, I asked her to tell it again. She had picked it up somewhere when my parents were on their honeymoon. She used to tell it better than me"

"I find that hard to believe" he made his way towards her, chopping board with the chopped up vegetables in his hands. "Or you would actually be transported there when she told it" he smiled down at her.

"It felt that way" feeling shy under his warm regard, Katara turned her attention back to the soup. "So what's your favourite story?"

When he didn't respond, she had to look at him again. The smile had faded and he looked at her with a strange glint in his eyes. Was it fear? But why would Zuko be afraid?

"Zuko? You ok?"

He blinked once and his eyes cleared. "I don't really have a favourite story" he said and looked away.

Katara raised an eyebrow at him, but refrained from asking further questions.

Later that evening they all sat in the theatre watching the play. To Katara, the only upside was that the story became clearer. But that was the only positive thing she could draw from it.

"I thought you said the Avatar was a man?" she asked Aang.

"I did, and he is!" Aang said indignantly. "But they cast some stupid woman the play the part"

And that was only the start of a truly horrible play. In the end, the Avatar even died, making Aang seethe with fury.

When they were walking back to their appointed house, Zuko spoke to the group at large. "That… wasn't a good play"

"I'll say" Aang grumbled.

"No kidding" Katara agreed.

"Horrible" was Suki's opinion.

"You said it" Toph chimed in.

Sokka was the only one who found a good point to the play. "But the effects were decent"

**A/N:** Okay, this was like they seventh version of this chapter, and I'm still not completely satisfied with the end result. But I've been all over it too many times, so I decided to just uload it. Anyway, please write a review for me, so the next chapter will be here that much sooner.


	13. Chapter 13 - Reflections

**A/N:** So here is the long awaited, but well worth the wait, chapter 13. Enjoy

That night, Katara couldn't sleep. Her mind kept going back to the play, and from there to Zuko, who had sat next to her throughout. To the times she had felt the warmth of him right next to her and the fact that she had wanted him much closer. Why was that? Why was she so attracted to him? Yes, he was good looking, even with his scar. Yes, he was kind hearted, even though he hid his nature behind a scowl on his face. And yes, he was an amazing kisser, even though she had a boyfriend of her own. But Jet wasn't here right now, which gave her a sense of freedom she didn't normally feel. So wasn't she free to explore her attraction to Zuko further? What happened on Ember Island, stays on Ember Island, that sort of thing? If that applied to this situation, she could kiss Zuko again. Just to see if the second time was as good as the first.

Slowly she traced her fingertips over her lips, imagining it was Zuko who traced her lips with _his_ fingers. She closed her eyes and traced again. This time, her mind supplied the feel of his lips, and how they softly plied hers to open and let him taste.

Suddenly she realized what she was doing. Her eyes popped open and with a gasp she sat up in her bed. What the hell was _wrong_ with her? How could she betray Jet like that? Her earlier thoughts that Jet wouldn't know what she did vanished. Jet might not know, but she would. And she knew she couldn't live with the feeling of guilt. Even now, when nothing had actually happened, aside from her fantasizing about kissing Zuko, she felt the heat of shame rise to her face. How would she feel if she actually pursued her fantasies and kiss Zuko for real? That would be unbearable. She lay down again, trying to calm herself down, but it didn't work.

She kept tossing and turning and at one point even pulled her pillow over her head to block out Toph's snores. But all to no avail. With an exasperated sigh she got up and made her way to the kitchen for a glass of water.

She stopped dead in the doorway of the kitchen when she saw another figure perching on the kitchen table, staring moodily out the window. A moment later she recognized Aang's slight figure and released the breath she had held, grateful it wasn't the one she was fantasizing about.

"Hey Aang, couldn't sleep either?" she asked as she headed for the cabinet and fetched herself a glass. She turned to the faucet and filled her glass. After taking a refreshing mouthful of water, she looked at Aang, who still hadn't answered. "Aang? You ok?"

He was starring ahead of him, giving no sign of having heard her. There was an ominous frown on his face. Apparently he wasn't thinking pleasant thoughts.

"Aang?" Katara asked again. Walking towards him, she put her hand on his shoulder.

Suddenly his eyes cleared and he looked straight at her. "Oh, hey Katara. Didn't realize you were here" he said glumly.

"Are you feeling alright? You look like you swallowed dirt"

Aang laughed a humourless laugh. "In a way, I did. That play was crap. That stupid writer didn't get anything right!" he held out his hand and started to count the bad points on his fingers. "First of all, the Avatar was a man, not a bald lady! Then that buff muscular Earthbender? Releasing sonic waves from _her_ mouth? I mean, come on! She's supposed to be blind and listens and feels to see. The Avatar did _not_ get killed by the Fire lord, the Avatar took away his bending! And worst of all, the Waterbender did not get cosy with the banished prince! She married the Avatar and they lived happily ever after!" by the time he was finished, the colour of his face had changed from normal to pink, to red, and finally to purple.

"Hey, calm down" Katara placated him. "It sounds like you feel greatly insulted by the playwright"

"I am greatly insulted!" Aang nearly shouted.

Katara shook her head. "I mean personally. As if the writer insulted you personally"

"Well, he did!"

"But Aang, he just rewrote a story into a play. So it's a story you like, just because the writer introduced some changes, the characters are not accurate portrayals of anyone, least of all you" her statement was met by silence and she glance at Aang's face.

He looked partly stubborn and partly petulant with an overlying blush of being caught. Katara realized that it was exactly what he thought. He saw himself as the Avatar and clearly he had very clear thoughts of who his Waterbender was. A feeling of discomfort prickled down her spine. Simultaneously, the look on Aang's face changed to one of intent. His gray eyes bore into her own and she had to look away, unable to look him in the eye.

"Katara" he said softly, imploring her to look at him.

She felt her face warm up, somehow she didn't think it was a good idea to look at him right now. AS if she did, she would she something she really didn't want to see.

"Katara" Aang cajoled again. When she still didn't look at him, he slid of the table and came to stand in front of her, effectively forcing her to acknowledge her presence. "Katara, I like you, _more_ than like you. Ever since I first saw you in the cafeteria, I felt it. There is a bond between us, and I know you feel it too. We should be together, only then will either of us feel complete! You can't lie to me and say you don't feel the exact same way about me"

Katara stared at him, at a complete loss for words. She had known Aang had a crush on her, but this was something else altogether. "Aang… I don't know what to say" she stammered.

He took a step closer so their noses were nearly touching. "Say that you love me. Say that you'll be my girlfriend!"

She shook her head. How was she supposed to let him know she didn't return his feelings? "No Aang. I won't say that. I already have a boyfriend. And-"

"Break up with him" there was a scowl on Aang's face at the mention of Jet. "He is not good enough for you. He doesn't deserve you"

She frowned. "I'll be the judge of who deserves to be my boyfriend"

He waved his hand in a placating manner, not wishing to anger her unduly. "It's just, I'll be a better boyfriend than he'll ever be"

She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Aang was a good kid, she just didn't view him as boyfriend material. So how was she going to turn him down gently? "Aang, listen… You're a nice guy. But I don't think of you as anything more than just a friend" seeing the look on his face told her he wouldn't take that for an answer. Desperately she cast out for another answer. "Aang, I sorry, but right now I'm just a little confused" this wasn't a complete lie. She had more than her share of doubts about men thanks to her feelings for Zuko.

If she hadn't been so lost in thoughts, she would have seen it coming. As it was, she was to engrossed with the thought of Zuko to pay proper attention to Aang's movements. Without warning, Aang pressed his lips against hers and tried to press his tongue in between her lips.

A wave of anger rose up inside her. _How dare he?_ No one ever dared to kiss her without her consent! How could he think this was something she would want? She took a step back so that Aang had to break the kiss. She wanted to slap his face for his insolence. But somehow that seemed to harsh a punishment. But she was unable to stop her hand from rising, instead of slapping him, she brought her hand to her own lips and surreptitiously rubbed away his saliva.

"I just said I was confused!" she nearly yelled at him. She felt trapped. She was boiling with rage and she had to blow off steam. But she could hardly do it here in the kitchen in front of Aang, who was now looking ashamed. _As he should be!_ "I'm going outside" with that she stormed out of the kitchen and out of the house.

Zuko lay on his back in his bed, staring at the patches of light on the ceiling. Even though the curtains were closed, there was still some moonlight that seeped through along the edges. He had his hand folded behind his head as he tried to see patterns in the pools of light. He let his mind drift and closed his eyes. Unsurprisingly, his mind conjured up a pair of sapphire blue eyes, framed by long black lashes. A lush mouth was added beneath a straight pert nose. The vision drifted closer until her face was only inches removed from his. Coyly the lashes drifted down, so he could no longer see the bright blue of the irises. Then the lids lifted again and the blue was now full of desire. The urge to lift his head and erase the distance between himself and the vision of her was overwhelming. A wave of warmth washed over his entire body as the vision above him teasingly bit her lower lip before sliding her tongue over it, leaving it glistening.

He heaved a deep sigh and opened his eyes. This was not helping him relax and settle down to sleep. Quite the opposite. Jeesh, it was warm in this room. He kicked his sheet down so his naked chest was exposed to the cool night air. Even though it went some way in cooling him down, regrettably it was not nearly enough. _I should open a window_. He thought to himself. Kicking off the sheet completely, he stood up and made his way to the window. His bed was the one nearest the door to the hallway, meaning he had to cross the entire room to reach the window. He first passed Sokka's bed, in which the occupant was snoring like a chainsaw. _How could I not have noticed that?_ He shook his head at himself. That just went to show how deeply Katara could keep his mind in thrall. Next he passed Aang's bed, which was surprisingly empty. To the best of Zuko's knowledge, he hadn't heard Aang leave the room, and in order to do so, Aang had to have walked past his own bed. _But then again, I didn't hear Sokka's snoring either._

Upon reaching the window, he drew the curtains back completely. If the snoring was any indication, Sokka was still deeply asleep and not likely to be woken up by a bit of extra light. To his annoyance, the window was already propped wide open. But there was no wind blowing in, not even a gentle cool breeze. Zuko leaned against the windowsill and took in the scene in front of him.

It was a small grassy meadow, surrounded by trees. In the moonlight it all looked very peaceful. The leaves that hung from the trees were unmoving, further showing that there was no wind to speak of. It was all too peaceful and quiet for Zuko's taste. He needed something to distract him, and to cool him off for crying out loud! All of a sudden, an idea popped into his head. He was on an island, wasn't he? Surrounded by clear, cool, ocean water! What was stopping him from taking a refreshing midnight swim? His mind was made up in less than three seconds and he headed over to his bag and quickly changed into his swim trunks. He took his beach towel as well as a simple white t-shirt for afterwards.

He opened the bedroom door and silently closed it behind him. While he wasn't concerned about waking Sokka, he had no desire to wake the girls on the other side of the hall. He silently walked to the front door. On his way, he passed the open kitchen door. As he looked in, he saw Aang sitting on the kitchen table, clearly sunk in his own thoughts. Without altering Aang, he walked past the open doorway and exited the house. He walked a way along the beach before dropping the bundle he carried. The kitchen window looked out on the beach, and in his current mood he didn't want to be joined by Aang, might he glance out the window and spot Zuko. Spreading out the towel he made sure there was no sand on it, before heading for the water.

As he stood at the line were dry sand met wet sand, he braced himself for the water. But it wasn't too cold, just the perfect temperature to cool his now burning body. He waded into the water until it reached his upper legs, than he drew in a deep breath and dove into the gently waves. He experienced a wave of relief as the water closed around him. He took a few strokes before resurfacing. As his head broke the surface, he felt more invigorated and too awake to fall asleep anytime soon. The exercise was supposed to cool him off and calm him down enough to fall asleep, so this was actually counterproductive. _Better swim and tire myself._ He thought to himself as he swam farther from the coast.

_How dare he?!_ Katara ranted to herself as she stormed out of the house. _Whatever made him think I wanted him to kiss me?_ She kicked the sand under her feet to vent her fury. The resulting geyser of sand was very satisfying, it momentarily distracted her, so she did it again. And Again. Slowly, she got closer to the shore. Looking at the gentle waves of the ocean, she decided they weren't at all to her taste. First she kicked the sand in the water, but the only visible effect were tiny rings of water where the sand had hit it. So she walked forward until she was ankle deep in the salty water. She kicked again. This was _way_ better. The water was no longer calm, but turbulent, all thanks to her. She had control over the water, at least for now. It brought a smile to her face. She kept kicking, watching the fountains of water as it came down again, not caring that she was getting wet. He pyjama bottoms were soaked though, and even though she didn't have a spare one with her, she didn't care. Wanting more water touching her by now overheated skin, she sank down until she sat on her ankles, further wetting her clothes. The water had a soothing effect on her senses, and slowly the red haze that had transfixed her mind vanished. Now that she could think clearly again, she wondered how she had given Aang the impression that she was into him. Or was he blinded by his own wants and needs for her that he hadn't stopped to think of what she might want? She scoffed at the idea. Aang was a nice kid, and he had a crush on her, but that was all. The thought that anyone was into her so deeply that her forgot everything else, was ridiculous. She knew she wasn't that attractive.

She stared down at her hands, folded in front of her between her legs. The water reached till her wrists, distorting the view. Unlocking her fingers, she let them sink into the sand. The feeling was a nice one, though not as nice as the encompassing water. She brought her hands out of the sand and cupped them. She lifted them out of the water and watched as the water trickled from between her fingers, back in to the ocean. She repeated the gesture, mesmerized by the flow of water.

She had always been drawn to water, even when she had been just a toddler. She distinctly remembered an outing to the beach with her parents and her brother. It was the first memory she had of swimming, or on that age, trying to swim.

_It had been a warm summer so far and her parents had decided they had to escape the hot, dry, and dusty city for the day, so they went to the beach. In the hope that there was still enough room for them to settle comfortably, they set out early in the morning, driving to the only beach that was relatively close by. After an hour and a half in the car, three-year-old Katara was more than glad to get out of the car and get away from her yelling brother. At the age of four, Sokka thought himself master of the world. If he was hungry, he had to be fed. If he wanted a toy, he took it. And if he was denied, he made sure everyone knew about it. He was also in his wrecking phase. Almost every object he laid his hands on didn't survive the ordeal. This to great distress of his parents. But now they were on the beach, he was allowed to wreck every sandcastle. At least the ones he made himself. Upon hearing that, he immediately declared that he was only a four year old boy, and therefor unable to build his own sandcastle. Laughingly Hakoda had agreed to help Sokka build his own sandcastle, which basically meant Hakoda would be the one building, while Sokka destroyed everything every five seconds._

_Meanwhile, Katara sat on her mother's lap on the blanket they had spread out. Kya was watching her husband and smiled at Sokka's antics. But Katara was more interested in the glimmering vastness beyond the sand. She wriggled out of her mother's grasp and walked to the shoreline._

"_Katara, sweetheart. Be careful!" Kya watched her daughter as she bent down and gingerly put her hands in the water. A wave came in, and bent over as she was, Katara was caught off guard by the shifting water. She was momentarily disoriented by the receding water. As the next wave came in, bigger than the last one, she toppled over and landed on her backside in the water._

"_Katara!" Kya was at her daughter's side in a flash, hoping to prevent or sooth any tears._

_But after an instant of confusion, Katara blinked and then smiled. She scrambled to her feet again and let herself fall back on her bottom when the next wave hit her. She shrieked with laughter as she did it again._

"_So you like the water?" Kya smiled at her daughter. "Do you want to learn how to swim, Katara?"_

"_Yes!" Katara looked up at her mother. "I want swim!"_

"_Let's go a little deeper than"_

_Katara cast a furtive glance out to the ocean and then back at her mother. Splashing around in shallow water was all fun and good, with dry land within easy reach. But going deeper?_

"_Don't worry sweetie, I'll be with you, nothing can happen to you then" she held out her hand for her daughter to take and when Katara had firmly put her hand in hers, she waded a little deeper, until the water reached Katara's waist. "Now, first of all, you need to learn how to float on your back. So lie back and stretch yourself out"_

_Tentatively, Katara lowered herself to the water surface. But it was only until she felt her mother's hands beneath her back, that she pulled up her feet so she was no longer standing._

_Unbeknownst to the pair in the water, Hakoda glanced up from his seventh try of building a sandcastle. At the sight of his beautiful wife and gorgeous daughter playing in the water, his heart overflowed with love and happiness. He quickly grabbed the camera they had brought with them ad took the picture. Sokka noticed his father's distraction but wasn't interested enough to look out at sea. He was preoccupied with filling his bucket with sand._

_As his father had been working on their –relatively simple – sandcastle, Sokka had watched other beachgoers building sandcastles. Theirs were bigger, and therefor better. Every moron knew a sandcastle had to have four towers and a moat, otherwise it wasn't a proper castle. But his father kept building a castle with only one tower. So Sokka decided to build his own castle._

_By the end of the day, more pictures had been taken of Katara swimming and Sokka with his ever growing sandcastle. The last picture on the film was one of the entire family sitting on the blanket, smiling at the camera, Sokka sandcastle on the background. Which no one had been allowed to wreck._

Katara smiled to herself. She loved that picture, which now had pride place on the mantel in the living room. She smiled even more at the fact that she once was afraid of deep water. She gazed out over the water. A different beach, another ocean, but just as beautiful as the ones from her memory. The water glistened under the light of the full moon. No wonder she felt so restless. It always seemed to happen when the moon was full, which was, in a way, a bit weird.

As she stared out over the waves, she noticed an irregularity. There was one particular wave that didn't follow the pattern the rest of the waves held to. A disruption like that could only be caused by something else. A fish? But what would a fish that size do so close to shore? And was getting closer by the second. A pale arm shot out of the water, only to be plunged in moments later. Katara realized she wasn't looking at an over large fish, but at a human being. But who was crazy enough to go for a midnight swim?

She got her answer seconds later as first a head, followed by brought shoulders and a muscular torso rose out of the water. She felt her jaw sag as she watched Zuko shake out his hair, letting droplets of water fly. _God, that boy is gorgeous!_

After shaking his head, Zuko brought up his hand to remove the water from his eyes. As he dropped his hand, he immediately noticed her sitting in the water. But was it a vision of his – clearly still active – imagination, or was she real ad was she actually sitting there, gaping at him? Only one way to find out.

"Katara?" if she was real, she would answer him. If she wasn't… Well, at least no one would have seen him call out to the empty air. He waded closer and saw her swallow before replying.

"What are you doing here?" she blurted out.

"I was taking a midnight swim" he explained himself. "But I could ask you the same question" he sat down next to her, still in the water.

She looked him in the eye as if searching for something. Then she shrugged. "I needed some fresh air"

"And water" he added.

She threw him a questioning glance. "What makes you say that?"

He glanced down at her legs and her _short_ pyjama bottoms. Then he gestured to the same area, drawing her gaze. "You're sitting in the water"

She felt her face heat with mortification. "Oh, right" the fact that she didn't even notice the cool , lapping water now that he was beside her was telling. "Of course," she tried to make herself look like less of a nincompoop. "it's just, I spent so much time swimming, in the water, that I barely notice the difference" while she was talking, she made swimming gestures with her arms. What was_ wrong_ with her? Why couldn't she act normal?

Zuko smiled down at her flustered face and refrained from remarking that swimming was only achieved in water. It was clear she felt the same way he sometimes felt while being around her, like a complete moron, trying to impress but with no idea how. The urge to draw her into his arms and reassure her that at the moment he actually looked adorable rose inside him. But she probably wouldn't appreciate that. So he settled himself more comfortably beside her and turned to look at the waves.

Katara was also staring at the waves, wishing she had power over them, so she could command a big wave to swallow her up. But of course, she wasn't that lucky.

They sat for a while in silence, each absorbed by the nearness of the other. Until Katara felt she had to break the silence.

"So what did you think of the play?"_ what a stupid thing to ask!_ Katara berated herself.

Zuko took his time answering. "Well, the actors were bad. And it wasn't really the same as Aang told it. But the underlying concept does have a certain value"

"Underlying concept?" she looked at him inquiringly.

"Yeah, the ability to bend elements. And that one nation thought itself better than the others. But also the motives of the characters were well thought out" when she kept looking at him with a slight frown marring her brow, he explained. "Picture this: the world is divided according to the four elements. And the Fire nation started a hundred year war. How would certain people feel and behave in that setting? For instance, the Waterbender. At first she saw herself as less that she actually was because she hadn't mastered her element yet. She was also the most compassioned of the bunch. How would you feel if you were her and the saviour of the world fell into your arms?" Zuko looked at her and saw understanding beginning to dawn. "Or what about the banished prince? I think the change is greatest in him, turning his back on his people, and most especially his father, in order to do what he thought was right"

Katara smiled at him as he described the prince. "So the prince is your favourite character then?"

He blinked, surprised by her conclusion. Then he thought about it. She was right, of all the characters, he liked the banished prince the best. "I guess… Until I saw his hairdo. That guy should be given a decent brush" he joked. "I mean, how can he expect anyone to take him seriously when his hair is all over the place?"

"I didn't think there was something wrong with his hair" Katara frowned.

"Are you kidding? First he had this ridiculous ponytail. Than it was all long and wavy, as in feminine. And finally, he resembled more of a porcupine than a human being!"

By the time he finished his tirade, Katara was clutching her stomach and hauling with laugher. He looked at her for a moment and then joined in. It _was_ quite funny.

When they calmed down, Zuko asked the first question that popped in his head. "So which element would you want to be able to bend?"

She looked at him and grinned. "Which do you think?" she splashed some water at him. "Water, of course"

He hadn't expected the force behind the splash to be so strong and didn't turn away from the face full of water. "Did you just splash at me?" he asked ominously. He brought his hand up to once again, remove the water from his eyes.

Katara bid her lip to keep from laughing at the expression on his face, but was entirely unsuccessful.

"And are you now _laughing_ at me?" Zuko growled.

She bit her lip harder, but to no avail. Then she gasped as Zuko splashed back, and she was facing a tiny wall of water before it hit her. "Well, I certainly don't need to ask which element suits you best! You're such a hothead!" she pretended to be insulted. But that quickly vanished as he splashed her again.

"Oh, you are _on_!" she laughed as she sent a wave his way.

What ensued was a water fight of epic proportions. When splashing with their hands wasn't enough anymore, they rose and kicked water at each other instead. It was some sort of miracle no one in the house woke up by the racked they made. The air was filled with shrieks and laughter.

Katara gasped as Zuko suddenly came close and grasped her wrist. He ignored the water she kicked his way ad drew her to him, into his arms. He ducked and hoisted her over his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Katara demanded in between the laughing.

"Well, you started this" he splashed water at her behind, not caring that the most of the water hit him. "So you need to cool off. And there is only one way to do that properly" he grinned.

Katara began to struggle. Being dunked in the water wasn't part of her plan. But as she found out, his hold was too strong for her to break. So she resorted to threats.

"I swear, if you go through with this, I'll make you pay!" by then he was already waist deep in the water. To her surprise he stopped, and after a moment let her slip down in front of him. She was so surprised that he had listened to her that she didn't see his next move coming.

He bent down and snatched her legs from under her, but before her head went under, he caught her shoulders with his other arm. He rose again, and thanks to her bridal style position in his arms, she was completely out of the water. Before she could really appreciate the benefits of this position, he threw her away. With a shriek she sailed through the air before hitting the water. She completely submerged and when she came up for air she spat out water.

He was grinning at her from seven feet away. "Had enough yet?" he taunted.

"You wish" she grinned back. Before he could make a move she dove forward. While she was swimming she was quicker than him walking. And it was easy enough to reach him and grab hold of his ankle. She heaved and even under water she heard his yell as he went under.

They both came up, and this time, Zuko was spitting out water. They were both breathing heavily, but both were sporting face-splitting grins.

"Ok,ok. I call a truce" Zuko said as he regained his breath. He held out his hand to her.

She eyed it suspiciously, then looked at his face, but there was no sign of deceit. She nodded. "Truce" and took his hand.

They waded out of the water and Zuko made for his towel. Even though it was closer to dawn than midnight, the temperature was still pleasant. He sat down and motioned for Katara to join him. He was having a good time with her near and didn't want them to part ways just yet.

Katara sank down next to him and immediately lay down on her back so she could look up at the stars.

Zuko looked down at her and decided it was best to follow her example. They lay in companionable silence for a while, and Zuko thought she had fallen asleep when he heard her soft voice.

"Zuko? Are you still awake?"

"Yes" he answered softly.

There was a silence before she said anything again. "On the bus, you said you'd been here before. But that you didn't have good memories about it…" she trailed off.

He felt a prickling sensation run up his spine. "So?"

"Well, at first I thought you simply didn't like the island. But I don't see how that is possible any more. So I was wondering what made your stay here so bad"

From the corner of his eye, he saw her turn her head in his direction, but he didn't reciprocate. He also didn't answer at first.

"You don't have to answer. I can see you don't want to. I'm sorry for being so pushy" she turned her head away again.

It wasn't his style to spread his tale of woe, but if he ever wanted her to be his girlfriend, he'd better be as open to her as possible. "It's not that. I will tell you if you want to hear it. But I warn you, it's not a story with a happy ending"

She said nothing, but turned her head to look at him, inviting him to continue.

"Back in the day, when I was still a kid, my family and I used to come here every summer. Those visits here were nice, and always something to look forward to. Back then, my mother was still alive. The last time we came here, I was thirteen, was the first time she wasn't with us, even though it had been three years since she passed away. The day after our arrival me, my uncle and my father went out for a hiking trip. As you might have noticed, there are plenty of hiking routes here. My father was in a strange mood from the beginning, but as that happened often those days, I really didn't pay attention to him. Instead, me and Uncle Iroh were keeping each other entertained throughout the day. It was the longest hike on the island, and the only one where you had to set up camp for the night. That night, my father and I had a huge fight. Ever since my mother had died, he had acted like I didn't exist, and those were the better days. So that night, I confronted him. He told me, ordered me, to stop talking to him like that, but I was too riled up to care. And he lost it. He grabbed one of the branches, not realizing it was half in the fire and threw it at me. It hit the left side of my face" he tried to keep his breathing even. The last thing he wanted was to cry in front of Katara. "When I woke up, my father apologized profusely and I forgave him. But I couldn't face coming back here again"

Katara stared at him, her eyes wide, mouth open. "Your dad gave you that scar?" she asked unbelieving. "Why would any parent want to hurt their child in such a cruel way?"

Zuko grunted. "He never actually said it to my face, but I'm pretty certain he blames me for mom's death" at this he choked back a sob that was threatening to escape.

Katara heard him choke and raised her head in order to better see his face. His eyes were closed, but the anguish was clearly visible. She gave in to the urge to scoot closer to him and wrapped her arms around his waist while she laid her head on his chest in a consoling manner. She felt him stiffen beneath her but sometime later she felt his arms settle around her, pulling her closer. She didn't know what to say to him. But the way he held on to her seemed to be enough for him. So she stayed were she was, in his arms, until she saw the sky lighting with the coming dawn.

"I think we should go back to our beds before the others notice we're gone" Zuko said softly.

Reluctantly, she pulled away and looked down at him. Here were no traces of tears on his cheeks, but the expression in his eyes was still bleak. She stood up and waited for him to gather his things.

"Thank you for telling me" she said softly.

He looked down at her and nodded. He indicated her to precede him and together they headed back to the house and their separate beds.

**A/N:** Hoped you liked it. It certainly was much more fun to write than the last chapter. Oh, and just so you know, reviews are always much appreciated. So if you have time, please write one.


	14. Chapter 14 - A Word to the Wise

**A/N:** I'm on a roll people! I just had to keep writing. And thus this chapter. Enjoy!

Thursday morning dawned with the sun already shining warmly. Suki was disturbed from her very pleasant dream by the radiant beams shining on her face. Reluctantly she opened one eye and squinted in the direction of the offending light. It was just her luck that the sun had found a way past the thick curtains and was now aiming at her face. She groaned and turned to her side, away from the intruding light. But fate would have it that she was now wide awake. Grabbing for her phone on the nightstand, she checked the time. Half past nine. _That's weird_. She thought. _Usually Katara wakes us for breakfast at nine_. She looked across the room to her friend's bed and saw that Katara was curled up, slightly smiling, but still deeply asleep. _I wonder where you've been last night_. Suki had woken up in the middle of the night, for some unknown reason. Something must have disturbed her, but she hadn't known what. She'd been lucid enough to hear Toph's snores and had wondered how Katara managed to sleep through it. Upon glancing to Katara's bed, she'd seen it was empty. But too tired to care, she'd gone back to sleep.

Suki sighed and got up. There was no sense in lollygagging in bed with Toph disturbing the peace she might have had, had she been alone. She put on her dark green shorts and white tank top. If the sun was any indication, it was going to be another hot day. Passing the sleeping girls, she headed for the door and from there made her way to the kitchen, where she found Sokka and Aang in front of the stove.

"I'm telling you, you need to melt the butter before you pour in the batter! Butter before batter!" Aang said. "It's a mnemonic"

"What kind of mnemonic is that? Since when does the 'u' comes before the 'a'?" Sokka asked. "If you want to make it logical, you'd say batter before butter. Because the 'a' comes for the 'u'!"

"But who makes pancakes without first melting butter in the pan?" Aang argued.

"Ehm… Guys?" Suki cut in.

Neither of them heard her and continued arguing. Meanwhile, black smoke was rising from the frying pan on the stove. The smell of burned _something_ reached Suki's nostrils and she knew it was time to step in.

"Move!" she yelled at Sokka and Aang while she ran for the stove and snatched the pan up. Next, she dumped whatever was in the pan in the garbage can and put the pan in the sink. "What did you think you were doing?" she coughed. She propped the kitchen window wide open to let some fresh air in.

Both males were looking at her, glanced at each other and then at their shoes.

"We were hungry" Aang explained.

"And Katara's not here yet" Sokka said.

"So we decided to make our own breakfast!"

"We thought pancakes might be nice"

"But we don't actually know how to make them" Aang confessed.

"I gathered" Suki raised an eyebrow. She looked at the bowl with batter. There were still lumps in it. And was that a piece of eggshell? She inwardly shuddered. "What did you guys put in here?"

"Ehm… Flower, eggs, butter, sugar, salt" Aang listed on his fingers.

Well, at least those were the right ingredients. Suki put her finger in the batter and tasted it. "Ugh!" this time the shudder was visible. "Did you measure out the ingredients?"

"Measure?" Sokka said with a tone of uncertainty.

"I don't think so…" Aang muttered.

Suki gave them both a look of exasperation. "Did either of you _ever_ prepare a meal? No! don't answer that. I don't want to know"

"But… we were hungry…" Aang told his toes.

Sokka gave her a pleading look. "Will you make us some pancakes?" he asked in his most honeyed voice.

She looked up at him and felt her heart melt as she gazed into his eyes. She was about to say yes when her inner voice spoke up. _Why would I make pancakes for them?_ "No" she said before her heart told her to do it anyway.

At her denial Sokka's face fell.

"But I will help you make them. If you do exactly as I say" she compromised.

At that announcement, Sokka became overjoyed. He came to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "You are the best-little-sister's-best-friend _ever_!" he concluded with a sound kiss on her cheek.

She felt her face heat at his nearness and quickly turned to grab to bowl of batter. "Well, this is honestly the worst batter I have ever tasted, so you better throw this away and start over" she pushed the bowl in to Sokka's hands.

While Sokka was cleaning the bowl, Suki instructed Aang how to measure out the ingredients.

"Are you sure we only need this little salt?" Aang asked.

"Yes, I'm sure. How much salt did you use?"

"About a teacup full"

"A _full teacup_?" she exclaimed. "No wonder your batter tasted so horrible!"

At her words, Aang's face coloured slightly.

"Bowl is clean" Sokka put the clean bowl on the table.

"Great. Now mix all the ingredients together. Make sure that you don't spill the eggshells in there. Unless you want crunchy pancakes. Then keep stirring until there are no more lumps" Suki instructed.

With painstaking care Aang cracked the eggs and inspected the bowl closely to make sure there were no shell pieces in it. With a wooden spoon he began to stir. "Is this ok?" he asked after a while and presented the bowl to Suki.

Suki took the spoon from him and stirred a bit more, but could detect no more lumps. "This is perfect. Now, for the baking" she turned to the stove and the clean frying pan. "And Aang, you were right. You have to melt some butter in the pan before pouring in the batter"

Behind her back, Aang shot Sokka a smug look, which Sokka ignored. Suki poured some batter in the pan and showed how to bake a proper pancake. Then she gave the spatula to Sokka. "Now you try"

After taking the offered spatula Sokka turned to the stove and made his first ever pancake. The spatula was given to Aang for him to try and after three quarters of an hour, they had a whole stack of pancakes ready for breakfast. During the baking, Toph had wandered in to the kitchen, sniffing the air.

"Is Katara making pancakes?" she asked appreciatively.

"No, we did!" Aang said with a proud smile on his face.

"_You_ did?" Toph's face turned suspicious.

"Don't worry. I made sure they didn't put something toxic in the batter" Suki joked.

Toph grinned. "Knowing their cooking ability they wouldn't need too"

"Hey!" Sokka exclaimed indignantly.

"Sorry Snoozles, but it's true"

Suki hid her laugh behind her hand at the sight of the two in flower covered faces who were giving Toph a deadly look.

"Well, you don't need to eat our pancakes if you don't want too…" Sokka shrugged.

The stricken look on Toph's face was cause for even more mirth.

"No, that's ok. I'm willing to risk it" she said.

When all the pancakes were done and the table set, there was still no sign of either Zuko or Katara.

"I thought those two were always the first to be up and about" Sokka observed.

"Katara at least was still asleep when I got up. Don't know about Zuko though" Toph said.

"We'll go check on them" Sokka said as he pulled Suki along.

Suki experienced a moment of exhilaration as she felt his fingers settle around her wrist. She held her breath as he towed her out of the kitchen and into the hallway where they were virtually alone. Something that didn't escape her notice. What also imprinted on her senses was the fact that he was so _close_. Sadly, the duration wasn't long, and before she wanted him to let her go, he dropped her wrist and set her in front of the girls' bedroom door.

"You wake up Katara, I'll take care of Zuko" his voice came from just above her ear in a whisper. She had to quell a shiver at the sensation of his breath caressing her ear. She braced herself and walked into the bedroom. Katara was still soundly asleep.

She gently shook her friend awake. "Katara, breakfast is ready"

Katara grumbled before opening her eyes. "What time is it?"

"Half past ten. You're wasting daylight"

Katara shot up in to a sitting position. "Ok, I'm awake"

"So, where were you last night?" Suki inquired.

"What do you mean?" but the colour of Katara's cheeks was turning slightly red.

"I mean, I woke up for a spell last night, and you weren't in bed"

"Oh, I was probably just getting some water" it was clearly a lie.

Suki raised her eyebrows, but received a don't- ask-I-won't-tell look from her friend. "Hmm… Well, breakfast is ready, Sokka and Aang made pancakes. So you'd better come before everything is gone"

"I'll be there in five"

Suki got up and walked back to the kitchen. In the hallway Zuko barrelled into her as he stormed out of his room. "Oh! Hey Zuko"

Zuko reached out to stead"

Zuko reached out to stead her and she noticed his touch didn't induce any og the feelings Sokka stirred in her when he touched her.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. Is Katara up yet?" he asked in a slightly anguished voice.

"Er… I just woke her. She'll be along in a couple of minutes"

Zuko looked over her shoulder towards the door she'd just closed. There was a strange look of… _longing_? On his face. Thinking Zuko was about to step around her and enter the girls' bedroom unannounced, Suki planted herself more firmly in front of the door. Katara wouldn't like it if Zuko marched in to the room while she was only partially dressed. Luckily, Zuko caught on to her silent hint and after one last look at the door, walked to the kitchen.

_What's his deal?_ Suki thought as she followed him.

True to her word, Katara joined them five minutes later and together they enjoyed the pancakes. In between bites, Toph asked what the plan was for their last day on Ember Island. They would be traveling back tonight.

"We've done all our school assignments" Sokka said. "So we can do whatever we want today"

"But we have to make sure the house is clean when we leave" Katara added. As everyone gave her a scowling look, she continued. "Other than that, you can do whatever we want" she said with slumping shoulders.

"I vote a day on the beach! We can build sandcastles and have a water fight!" Aang said with excitement.

At the last word, Zuko shot a look at Katara and found she was also looking at him. "But we better clean up first. Than we don't have to do it later on" and he _needed_ to talk to Katara about last night. He shot her a look and prayed she understood. She caught his look and nodded ever so slightly, she understood. He exhaled in relief.

"Maybe this is a good idea: Suki, Toph, why don't you two clean our room and I'll clean the kitchen. But it would be nice if someone could help me" Katara gave Zuko a pointed look.

"I'll help you with the kitchen. Sokka and Aang can clean our room" Zuko spoke up before someone else could claim the spot.

Everyone murmured their consent as they finished their breakfast. Afterwards, Zuko helped Katara clear the kitchen table as the others headed to their rooms to clean up.

"About last night" Zuko murmured under his breath, not wanting the others to overhear.

She cast a sideways glance at him. "What about last night?" she said just as soft.

"I told you the story of how I got my scar, and while I feel somehow relieved that I finally told someone – something I hadn't expected – it was for your ears only. I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone else. I don't want anyone's pity"

"You think I pity you?" she asked aghast.

He looked in her eyes and saw a faint glimmer of exasperation , anger and shock. But no sign of pity. "No, but that doesn't mean others will feel the same"

She nodded. "I'm glad you told me your story. But that's just it, it's _your_ story. It's not up to me to tell others. So you can rest easy, your story is safe with me"

Zuko relaxed his tensed muscles at her words. He hadn't expected Katara to be a tattletale, but it was reassuring to hear conformation.

At noon, the house was clean and all the bags were packed and stacked in the kitchen. There was no one left in the house, everyone was on the beach in front of the house.

"So what do we do now?" Toph asked. She was sitting in the sand, burying her hands.

"Let's have a sandcastle building contest!" Aang issued the challenge.

"Oh, I'm in!" Sokka yelled.

"I'm gonna kick your butts!" Toph jibed.

"Anyone else?" Aang looked hopefully at Katara.

Suki grabbed her best friend's arm. "We're going for a walk" she declared and pulled Katara along.

Zuko looked at them slowly walking to the shoreline. "I'm going to do some sketching" he held up his sketchpad. He settled himself in the sand, with a view of Sokka, Toph and Aang heaping sand together for their sandcastles. The sand mounted Sokka was creating was by far the largest, from which he fashioned a big, rather formless sandcastle. Aang was creating sand walls, but they weren't thick enough to stay standing for longer than the next gust of wind. Toph was actually doing the opposite of Sokka, digging in the sand instead of building a mountain. Zuko studied the scene in front of him and started sketching. From time to time, he looked up to see if there was any progress. After a while he was content with his sketch. He had captured the postures of all three builders to perfection. He turned in search for a different view to sketch. His gaze fell upon the two girls now sitting in the sand, with their feet in the water. From the looks of it, they were in deep discussion. He settled himself to capture them on paper.

The girls in question were completely unaware of their environment, too deeply engrossed in the topic of guys.

"Some walk" Katara commented dryly as Suki plunked down in the sand.

"Doesn't matter. No one's listening to us, that was the objection"

Katara sat down next to her friend. "So, what's up?"

"Indeed. What's up between you and Zuko?" Suki asked bluntly.

Katara felt heat flood her face. "What do you mean?" she started playing with the sand.

Suki looked over her shoulder to the guy in question sketching away on his pad. "Come on, Katara. I'm not blind. You two have chemistry"

"I already have a boyfriend, remember" Katara answered sullenly.

Suki looked back at her friend's face. "I know that. But be honest, haven't you even thought about kissing Mr. Delicious over there, now that Jet isn't here to see?"

The colour on Katara's face was answer enough.

"So you did!" Suki squealed. "And did you actually do it?"

Katara sighed. "No… but yes"

Suki gave her a confused look. "What does that mean?"

"It means I haven't kissed Zuko… here. He kissed me… Last week"

"He kissed you?!" Suki screeched, causing Katara's hand to fly to her friend's mouth to stifle the sound. Suki pulled the hand away and continued in a softer tone. "When? What was it like? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Er… Last Monday. Disturbingly amazing. And I wanted to figure things out for myself first" Katara answered all three questions.

"_Disturbingly_ amazing? How can that be? You usually have good or bad"

"No, in the right order, you have bad, average, better than average, good, and lastly amazing"

"So where does the disturbingly amazing fit in?"

"It's a bonus when the guy you're kissing isn't your boyfriend, but is kissing better than said boyfriend" Katara educated her best friend. "And it wasn't even a _real_ kiss!" Katara threw her hands in the air, showering sand down on them both.

"As in… No tongues?" Suki inquired, wiping sand from her person. When Katara nodded he blew out a breath. "Boy, id it's already amazing _without_ tongues, imagine what it will be like if he _properly_ kissed you" she waggled her eyebrows.

"Suki!" Katara yelled. "Who's side are you on?"

"Yours of course. I'm just saying…"

"I know, I know! But do you have any idea how confusing it is? Jet's an amazing boyfriend, I can't cheat on him with Zuko! He doesn't deserve that"

"So break up with him"

"I can't do that! Even if Zuko would want me as his girlfriend, I don't know him well enough for that" _You know him a hell of a lot better since last night._ Her inner voice commented.

"_If_? If Zuko wants you as his girlfriend? Katara the guy _kissed_ you. I'd say that's indication enough he wants you as his girlfriend"

Katara coloured at her friend's words and looked over her shoulder. Zuko was still sitting in the same spot, but was now facing them. At that precise moment he looked up from his sketchpad and caught her gaze. She felt her face heat even more as she was unable to look away. She saw him flip to a new page in his sketch pad and he looked down again, busily sketching.

Suki cleared her throat and Katara looked away from Zuko. Her friend raised one eyebrow and gave her an I-told-you-so look.

"So how about you?" Katara changed the subject. "What _exactly_ is going on between you and my brother?"

Now it was Suki's turn to blush. "What makes you think something's going on?"

"You laugh at his jokes" Katara said dryly. "No one ever laughs at his jokes"

"So you wouldn't mind if we started dating?" Suki asked casually.

Katara studied her friend for a while before replying. "Nah… As long as you two don't make out in front of me. And I wouldn't want to know what kind of kisser my brother is!"

"But other than that, you'd be fine with it?"

"I guess. But a word to the wise: you're not a couple yet. I don't know how my brother feel about you. And frankly, I don't want to know. But if you ask me nicely, I might be persuaded to inquire casually about his feeling for you"

"You'd do that?!" Suki squealed. "You're the best friend a girl like me could even have!"

"You're welcome" Katara grinned as Suki threw her arms around her.

Back up the beach, Aang was finally finished with his sandcastle. He admired it with pride, he finally got the thin walls to stay standing. He looked at Sokka and Toph who were still busy building. Sokka's structure looked more like a big heap of sand than a proper sandcastle. Toph's construction could hardly be called a castle either. Instead of piling sand on sand, she had opted to remove sand so her construction was built _in _the ground, rather than on it. It seemed to be an entire city, complete with people and a… Was that a _bear_? He raised an eyebrow but didn't disturb her. He looked further along the beach and saw Suki and Katara sitting on the shoreline. For a moment he contemplated joining them. Anything to get closer to Katara again. But she hadn't run away for no reason the night before, s t was probably best if he kept his distance for now. Who knew, maybe next time, she would come to him. Cheered by that thought he scanned the rest of the beach. His gaze fell on Zuko, who was still sketching. Aang wondered what was on the sketchpad. He had often seen Zuko pull it out and draw things on it.

He wandered over to Zuko and cleared his throat to announce his presence. He saw Zuko stiffen and shuffling with the papers before he looked around.

"Oh, it's you" Zuko said with a tone of relief.

"Mind if I join you?" Aang asked.

"Make yourself comfortable" Zuko gestured to the sand next to him. "Done building sandcastles?"

"Yeah, I finally finished it" Aang dropped down in the sand.

Zuko looked over his shoulder to inspect the sandcastles. "Looks nice. What on earth is Sokka making?" he said as he looked at the heap of sand.

"No idea" Aang was more interested in the sketchpad in Zuko's hands. "Would you show me your sketches?" he asked.

Zuko looked at him for a spell. Then he shrugged and gave Aang the sketchpad. "Go ahead"

Aang took the pad and opened it on the first page. A coloured sketch of a flower greeted him. The heart of the flower was soft yellow, with white petals. The inside of the petals we striped red. A neat script beneath the sketch indicated the flower as the white jade flower. The next page depicted a similar flower, only with reversed colouring. Apparently that was the white dragon flower. Aang leafed through the pages and saw a few sketches he recognized. Their group sitting around the campfire, the Ember Island waterfalls, again the group sitting in the grass sitting by the waterfall. The next one made Aang blink. It was a picture of Katara, lying in the sand, sunbathing. The detail was incredible. The page after that was another drawing of Katara. This time it was a portrait, in which she was staring back at him from the page. He felt slightly jealous at Zuko's ability to draw so well. Even more so because Katara's seemed to be the only portrait Zuko had drawn. What was his deal with Katara? Did she know he had sketches of her?

He sifted through the rest of the sketches until finally the last one, another portrait of Katara. "These are good" Aang murmured as he studied the rough sketch. It was clearly recently drawn. _Very_ recently. "You have a lot of sketches of Katara" he said lightly.

"Just a few" Zuko answered.

_A few_? Aang thought to himself. Out of the twenty sketches, seven were pictures of her. He knew, he had counted them. "More than from anyone else" Aang commented.

"I like to draw beautiful things. Katara happens to be a beautiful girl" Zuko defended himself.

"Does she know you have so many pictures of her?" Aang was beginning to sound accusing.

Zuko didn't answer, which was answer enough for Aang. Zuko reached out and took back the pad and closed it.

"You know she has a boyfriend, right?" Aang was now really accusing.

Zuko gave him a cold, uninformative stare. "What makes you think I don't know?"

"Your sketches indicate you fancy her"

Zuko rolled his eyes. "I just told you, I like to draw beautiful things"

"So you're not into her?" Aang said sceptically. How could anyone not be into Katara?

"No!" Zuko lied through his teeth. What was Aang's problem? _Why this interrogation_? "Are you?"

Aang blushed ferociously and looked away.

Zuko raised an eyebrow. "You know she has a boyfriend, right?" he repeated Aang's earlier statement.

Aang gave him an angry scowl. Then the expression on his face turned smug. "For now. But I bet that will change soon"

"What do you mean?" Zuko asked suspiciously. "How would you know?" he hated himself for being so obvious, but he had to know.

"Oh nothing really. It's just, I kissed her. So she might have second thought about her current boyfriend" it was all bluff and wishful thinking on Aang's part. But it was enough.

Enough for Zuko to see red. _He kissed Katara? What the hell! My Katara?_ It took great effort not to strangle Aang on the spot. Greater effort still to keep his tone light and uninterested. "You kissed her? How did she react?"

Aang shrugged. "She kissed me back"

"When did this happen?" Zuko ground out from between gritted teeth.

"Last night" Aang shrugged again.

Zuko kept himself completely still. He didn't dare move one muscle. If he did, he might turn extremely violent towards Aang. He felt betrayed. He had been with Katara last night, he had held her in his arms, had told her the story of his scar! He didn't see anything but red. He didn't even notice Aang getting up and leaving. It took time and great effort to calm down. _She is not mine_. He berated himself. _She can kiss whoever she wants. It's not my place to beat that guy to pulp_. Although it would make himself feel much better if he could hit Aang.

"You ok Zuko?" her worried voice broke through his inner debate.

He looked up into her gorgeous eyes and realised he couldn't possible stay mad at her. What she did with other guys was none of his business. Even though it hurt like hell to hear about it. If luck would have it, he'd be the guy she settled for before too long. Hopefully.

"Zuko?" she crouched down in front of him and put her hand on his bent knee.

"I'm fine" he smiled. He loved the way she casually touched him. No one else did. But then again, he wouldn't let anyone else touch him casually.

"I was wondering…" she blushed slightly.

When she didn't continue he prompted. "You were wondering..?"

The blush intensified. "Oh god, this is going to sound so childish! But I was wondering if you'd like to sit next to me on the bus ride home. Suki decided she wanted to sit next to my brother. So I'm looking for another bus-buddy"

"So Suki is into your brother? I was wondering about that" and she was asking _him_ to sit next to her, not Aang. _Maybe Aang lied_? His inner voice remarked hopeful. "As for sitting next to you… There are worse things in the world" he joked.

She smiled at him. A heart-stopping-drop-dead gorgeous smile. "Great!"

That evening everyone was gathered on the parking lot, waiting to enter the bus and go home. As agreed, Zuko and Katara caught a seat together. Zuko took the window seat and let Katara scoot in on his right side. She looked up at him from beneath her lashes. As she studied the non-scarred side of his face she felt a thrill of sitting next to him wash over her.

Before long, they were on their way home. Katara suddenly felt tired, which wasn't surprising considering she had been on the beach last night, instead of her bed.

She leaned back her head and closed her eyes. Shifting around a bit, she tried to find a comfortable place for her head to rest. In her shifting, she landed with her head on Zuko's shoulder. She didn't know whether it was the overwhelming urge to sleep, or the fact that she actually wanted to sleep against Zuko that made her stay there, but she didn't care either way. She left her thoughts drift ad was asleep within minutes.

**A/N:** Hopefully the roll will continue and the next chapter will be here before long. But in the meantime, R&R please. I'm always open to other people's opinions.


	15. Chapter 15 - Sneaking Around

**A/N:** And the roll continues! Have fun reading this - in my humble opinion - AWESOME chapter.

Zuko came awake in slow stages. First, he became aware of a heavenly scent teasing his nostrils. It was fresh and sweet like a small, cooling gust of wind on a hot summer's day. Without opening his eyes, he inhaled deeply through his nose. That caused a few hairs to tickle him. Next he noticed someone's head resting on his shoulder and he felt the warmth of someone else's body along the length of his right side. It was an altogether pleasant feeling. Until he became aware of his own body rousing from sleep, muscles screaming. Especially his neck. Not only was someone's head resting on his shoulder, but his own head was resting on the other person's head as well, which was why his neck felt so stiff and at the same time as if it was on fire. He winched as he straightened from his slumped position and rubbed his neck. He looked down at the person next to him, undisturbed by his movements, still deeply asleep. Katara.

"You guys look good together"

Zuko looked to the row in front of him and saw Suki looking back at him. "Excuse me?" his mind was still intoxicated, either from sleep or the realisation that Katara was so close.

"I said you two look good together" Suki repeated.

Zuko looked sceptical. Katara looked good, beautiful, gorgeous, even asleep. But him?

"You don't believe me, do you?" Suki said, eyes wide. When Zuko said nothing, she turned to face forward and ducked out of sight. Seconds later she re-emerged, this time with a digital camera in her hands. She pressed a couple of buttons before turning the display for Zuko to see.

He stared at the picture Suki had taken of him and Katara, both of them deeply asleep. Katara was leaning against him, with her head on his shoulder, while he had his right arm around her shoulders and his face in her hair. _How did I manage that?_ He marvelled. "Can I have that picture?" he asked before thinking about it. He _needed_ to have this memento. Proof that Katara didn't mind sleeping in his arms.

Suki hid a smug smile. "Sure, I'll email it to you" a devilish gleam appeared in her eyes. "You want me to send it to Katara too?"

He studied Suki's face, trying to figure out what her plan was. Why wouldn't she show a picture of her best friend to said friend? "Why wouldn't you?" he asked suspiciously.

Suki shrugged, her face a picture of innocence Zuko didn't believe for one moment. "I don't know… I overheard Aang and Toph discussing your penchant of sketching Katara last night. Aang seemed pretty bummed out about it… But that got me thinking. Katara's birthday is coming up, and as he best friend, I can tell you that she appreciates homemade gifts more than those you buy in a store. So if you were of a mind to make a drawing of this picture I took, and present it to her on her birthday…" she trailed off and pierced him with a penetrating gaze. "It would be a shame that she had already seen the picture"

Zuko narrowed his eyes at Suki. "What makes you think she would appreciate a gift from me? And more importantly, it looks like you're practically shoving me on her"

"I am" she said bluntly.

"Why? Isn't this breaking some honour code you girls have? Aren't you supposed to be on her side?"

Suki rolled her eyes. "Only guys have 'honour codes'. And I _am_ on her side"

"What about Jet than?"

"I think you could make her happier. Plus, I know she likes you. But don't _ever_ tell her I said all this, I will kill you if you do" she threatened.

"Then why _did_ you tell me?"

"Because you guys always seem to need reassurance if a girl is into you, before you ask her out. I'm giving you that assurance that she does. So you don't have to waste time"

Zuko brought his hand to his face and held the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger. He let out a long sigh before looking at Suki again. "Suki, I thank you for your intel, but I'm completely aware of how Katara feels about me. You think you just made it easier for me, but there are other things that prevent me from telling Katara how I feel about her and-"

"So you _do_ like her that way?" Suki cut him off, a triumphant glint in her eyes.

Zuko looked baffled. He had assumed Suki already knew how he felt about Katara. Apparently not. He felt anger well up inside him. _She tricked me!_ "I swear, if you tell Katara _any_ of this, I'll make you feel _very_ sorry" he scowled.

"Why ever not?" she said wide eyed.

"Because I said so!" he hissed through his teeth.

Suki looked disappointed. Then she sighed. "So I can send the photo to Katara?"

"No. It might be better if you don't" Zuko said as he looked out the window, studying the passing landscape. From the corner of his eye, he saw Suki smile at him before sliding back in her seat. He inwardly smiled. At least he would have Suki on his side if Katara ever went looking for a different boyfriend. And the idea Suki had given him for the birthday present… that was pure gold.

He looked down on Katara, still sleeping peacefully against his shoulder. He checked his watch, it would still be some time before they arrived at school. He leaned back against the set and closed his eyes.

Katara woke in much the same manner as Zuko had, in slow stages. An alluring scent teased her nose and she became aware of the muscular shoulder her head rested on. Before opening her eyes, she knew it was Zuko she was leaning against. She peeked through her lashes as she slightly turned her head. His eyes were closed and if his deep breathing was any indication, he was still asleep. She slowly straightened, stretching her neck to get the knots out. In spite of her stiff neck, she had slept like a baby. She stretched her arms and legs as good as she could in the tight space surrounding her and looking up as Suki's head popped up from the seat in front of her.

"You guys look good together" her best friend said.

Katara turned red as she imagined how they must have looked during the night. Avoiding her friend's penetrating stare, she looked at Zuko. Was it her imagination, or had he suddenly tensed? Had he heard? She sighed. "Stop imagining things Suki" she scolded her friend. "We're just friends. He doesn't see me the way you imply" _no matter how much I'd want him too_. She added silently.

Suki muttered something that sounded like, "You might be surprised" and ducked out of sight.

Katara stared at the place where Suki's head had been, wondering if she had heard correctly. She looked sideways at Zuko again and found him looking at her. He didn't look like he had been asleep for some time, his eyes were clear and alert as he regarded her. She flushed at the thought of him overhearing her conversation with Suki. "Good morning" she murmured.

"Morning" he replied softly, almost like a caress.

"Did you sleep well?" _he slept in a bus, he probably feels stiff all over._ The snarky voice inside her head informed her.

He kept regarding her with his steady gold gaze. "Better than I expected. You?"

She was entranced by his eyes, she couldn't look away as she almost breathlessly replied. "Same, I guess"

His gaze slid from her eyes, lower over her face, past her lips and stopped at her throat. "You took off Aang's necklace" he murmured. He had noticed it the day before that she wasn't wearing it anymore and had wondered what had happened with it.

Her hand rose to her throat as she once again felt heat rise to her face. "I left in on Ember Island. It's hardly fashionable jewellery you can wear in public" she lied. She had actually ripped off the necklace and thrown it in the sand and buried it. All because she didn't want a reminder of what Aang had done. But if she told Zuko the truth, she would have to tell him why she felt that way, which meant she had to explain about Aang's surprise attack – she didn't see it as a proper kiss – and that was not something Zuko needed to know. Even if it meant Zuko thought her a shallow, silly little girl.

He looked at her as if that was exactly what he thought of her and that he couldn't believe she could ever be like that. Feeling deeply ashamed of h persona she had led him believe her to be, she turned her face away and stared out the window on the other side of the bus. She still felt his disapproving gaze on her, but she did her best to ignore him.

Zuko stared at the girl next to him, truly baffled. He had never expected Katara to be so vain, and it truly crashed with what Suki had told him earlier. And now she was red faced, studying the scenery, avoiding his gaze. When he thought about it, he didn't really believe her. But then again, why would she lie? He knew he shouldn't try to understand what went on inside a woman's mind, yet he couldn't help but wonder. It didn't do him much good though. When the bus arrived on the school parking lot, he hadn't only not managed to figure Katara out, but he had also give himself a major headache in the progress.

All the students piled out of the bus, stretching their cramped legs. Katara was about to grab her bag from the bottom of the pile of luggage, as she heard Zuko behind her.

"You're never going to get it out of there" he commented.

She dropped the straps of her bag and looked at him. "I don't suppose you're willing to lend me your assistance?"

He smiled at her, bent down and grabbed the straps of her bag. With one powerful heave, he managed to free the bag from the pile. "There you go"

She smiled back at him as she took her bag. "Thanks. I-"

She was cut off by a pair of large hands that settled around her waist from behind. "Hey babe" Jet's voice said in her ear.

Startled, she turned around to face him. "Jet! I hadn't expected you to be here!" why did she suddenly feel guilty?

"What? Am I not allowed to pick up my girlfriend? Besides, I have a surprise for you" he smiled.

"Oh" that was not what she had expected. "Ok"

"So are you coming with me?"

"Sure" she smiled and turned to Zuko to say goodbye. "I'll see you tomorrow"

Zuko was looking at Jet with an impassive expression on his face. His eyes flicked to Katara and he gave a tight smile. "Yeah, tomorrow" with that, he headed to the other side of the bag pile to rescue his own luggage.

Turning back to Jet, she saw him looking at Zuko as well, a slight frown marring his brow. "What's tomorrow?" he asked suspiciously.

Was Jet jealous? Of Zuko? "We're working at the same place" Katara explained. "Shall we go?"

His brow smoothed over and he smiled. Putting his arm around her, he led her to his car. On the way, she collared Sokka to let him know she was going with Jet, but he seemed more interested in Suki and only nodded vaguely.

"So where are you taking me?" Katara asked as she settled in the front seat of Jet's car.

"To my place" he answered as he started the car.

He drove off the parking lot, honking at those that got in his way. That caused some of the students to shout at them, and Katara secretly wished she wasn't in the car. Jet's driving style was in her eyes a bit reckless, speeding up instead of slowing down when the traffic light turned orange, and she didn't feel entirely safe with him as a driver. But she refrained from commenting as he once again took a turn on the roundabout, without using his indicators. She had done so once, and he had said he knew what he was doing and that she shouldn't interfere with his driving.

Jet had turned up the music and metal blared out of the speakers, curtailing any chance of conversation. Katara leaned her head back against the headrest and studied the passing houses, trees, and people. Even though she had slept reasonably well last night, she felt her eyes sag closed.

Soft lips on her own brought her back to consciousness. Or partly at least. Her subconscious had plagued her with a dream of Zuko, how he had looked sitting in the surf, with the moonlight shining down on him. Her dream enlaced with reality, her befuddled mind thought it was Zuko kissing her awake, and eagerly she put her arms around his neck to bring him closer. But something wasn't quite right. He didn't smell as she remembered, and the feel of his lips was off too. She retracted her arms and opened her eyes as she felt him pull away.

"Waky waky, sleepyhead" Jet said softly.

Her eyes snapped all the way open and locked with brown eyes. She gave him a sheepish smile and hoped he didn't notice her blush.

"We're here" he said as he got out of the car.

She followed suit and stretched herself as she stood on the curb. She looked at the house where Jet lived. She had been there twice before, and it hadn't changed at all. It was a normal looking terraced house, with adjoining houses on either side. The only difference with the other houses was the empty looking living room. But then again, the lights in the house were out, so for all Katara knew, Jet's parents could have been redecorating the place. She hoped so. The last time she was here, the living room had lacked signs of being lived in. She followed Jet to the front door, which he opened and gestured her inside.

"Can I take your coat?" He asked courteously, and put his hands on her shoulders.

She shrugged out of her coat and smiled at him over her shoulder. Jet took this as some kind of sign, bent close and kissed her on her mouth. When he lifted his head, she felt slightly breathless. His warm hands slid softly down her bare arms, causing goosebumps to appear on her skin.

"You want something to drink?" he asked solicitously.

"That would be nice"

She followed him to the kitchen where he poured her a glass of soda. "Aren't your parents home?" she asked as she took the glass from him.

He shook his head. "Nah, they're at work or something" he shrugged. Apparently he didn't really care about his parents' whereabouts. "Let's go to my room" he suggested as he put his arm around her shoulders and led her to the stairs.

His room was surprisingly clean. But then again, the only reference she had to teenage boys' rooms, was her brother's room, which hadn't been subjected to a proper cleaning in years. The room itself wasn't overly large and looked a bit crowded with all the furniture and electrical wires everywhere. On the desk stood an ancient computer, much at odds with the state of the art TV and surround sound system and the many game stations with their consoles hanging out on wires. The TV was angled in a way that you had perfect view when you sat or lay down on the single, neatly made bed.

"Make yourself comfortable" Jet suggested as he headed over to the stereo tower.

The only place to make oneself comfortable was the bed, so Katara sank down on the edge and took a sip of her drink.

"Shall we watch a movie?" Jet asked from the other side of the room.

"Sure" Katara answered with little enthusiasm. She knew Jet's tastes in movies and she herself wasn't particularly fond of people hacking each other up with chainsaws. But he surprised her by popping a romantic comedy into the DVD player. He started the movie and came to the bed.

After a quick survey of her on the bed, he smiled and lay down with his head on the pillow. "Come here" he gestured for her to lie down next to him. She settled herself against him and let him fold his arms around her.

They watched the movie in silence for a while. At some point, Katara felt Jet start to play with her hair, slowly combing through it with his fingers. Later he began to squirm beside her. She looked up into his face with a question in her eyes.

"It's hot in here, isn't it?" he asked.

"A bit" she nodded. It _was_ hot. Jet's room was directly under the roof and with the sun shining through the closed window, the temperature was steadily rising.

"Wait one second" Jet pulled his arms from around her and grabbed for the hem of his T-shirt. In one swift move, he drew his shirt over his head. "That's much better" he smiled.

It took effort not to gape at his now naked chest. After a week on an island with tropical temperatures, she was used to seeing boys in their swim trunks. She had come to admire the naked chests, one in particular. But Jet's chest was so different from Zuko's that she felt heat rise to her face.

Jet lay down again and pulled her into his arms. He captured one of her hands in one of his and let it rest on his chest, directly above his heart. With his other hand he resumed playing with her hair.

She noticed it immediately when he started to move her hand over his chest, and down to his washboard abdomen. Up again, over his chest, to his throat, until he could kiss her fingers. Leisurely, he repeated the path several times, until she looked up.

He wasn't watching the movie, but was studying her with hooded eyes. He let go of her hand, letting it rest on his abdomen and reached up to cup the side of her face. He guided her face closer to his, so that he could kiss her on the lips. His hand slid from her face and settled on her waist.

"I've missed you" he muttered when they came up for air. He kissed her again ad slowly rolled until she was lying on her back. He hovered over her, with his knee in between her thighs. "You have no idea how much I've missed you" he said again.

She looked up at him, not knowing what to do or say. Tentatively she let her hands slide up and over his shoulders and let her arms encircle his neck. Aside from the times that he had intruded her fantasies about Zuko, she hadn't thought about him at all. But she seriously doubted he wanted to hear that.

It seemed he wasn't interested in her answer anyway, as he lowered his face again for another kiss. When he released her mouth, he skated with his lips along her jaw and from there down her throat, where he delicately sucked her skin. She shivered as she felt his tongue lick the same spot.

Abruptly, he sat up and put his hands on the buttons of her blouse. One by one, he undid them to reveal her bra. She shivered again as he bent down and softly sucked the skin above the dark blue lace. He moved up again, until his lips hovered just above her ear.

"Touch me" he whispered.

As instructed, she let her hands glide caressingly over his chest and back, while Jet sucked her neck again.

"Lower" he breathed.

Her hands drifted to his abdomen, but stopped as she encountered his waistband. She let her hands glide up again over the muscles. She didn't want to go any lower than that.

But still Jet insisted. "Lower!"

"Jet, I don't want too" she said softly. She felt him stiffen slightly, but he didn't insist again. Instead she felt his lips drift from her throat, down to the valley between her breasts, to stop at her bellybutton. His hands followed much the same path, but over her breasts, and down to the waistband of her jeans. As he slowly sucked and laved her bellybutton, his hand drifted to the button holding her jeans in place.

"Jet! Stop" Katara protested.

He looked up at her. "Why?"

"Because I don't want too"

Something behind his eyes changed, but he slid up so his face was above hers again. "But I want you. Don't you want me?"

She swallowed. "I'm sorry" _why am I sorry?_ "But I'm not ready for that yet"

He sighed deeply. "But it's ok if I kiss you?" he asked.

She smiled to soften her refusal to have sex with him. "Of course it is"

He kissed her again, but something was off, like he wasn't as committed as he was before. Thankfully, he made no more attempts to anything other than kissing her.

After some time, they just lay there, together on the small bed, staring into the distance. The movie was long over, but neither of them made a move to turn off the TV.

Katara sighed deeply. "I think I'd better go home. I have to make dinner for Sokka and Gran-Gran"

"Sure" Jet said with a distant voice. "I'll drive you home"

She refrained from pointing out that he had to, since she didn't have a mode of transportation of her own.

Later that night, after dinner, Zuko sat behind his desk checking his emails. After a whole week without access to internet there were quite a few unread. There were no new emails form the Painted Lady, which he felt slightly disappointed about. _She has been on the same island you were, of course there are no new emails._ His subconscious sneered. But a small part of him had hoped she would email him when she got home. If only to tell him why she hadn't sent him ay emails the past week. _Maybe she hasn't had access to a computer yet, dumb-dumb._ She had gone with Jet, for all he knew, she was still with him. And if that were the case, checking or writing emails would be the last thing on her mind. He sighed deeply. He was insanely jealous of Jet, he wanted Katara for himself, but he also wanted to make her happy. And right now she seemed happiest with Jet. Which meant, he wouldn't stoop so low as to break up her relationship with the guy, just to make himself feel better. _Then again, she has never said she was happiest with Jet_. The annoying voice remarked. He sighed again. Katara was an enigma to him. She was all sweet and caring, was the most compassionate person he knew. Yet she claimed not to want to wear a homemade necklace, just because it was out of fashion. That wasn't at all what he had expected of her. _She probably wants her own necklace back_. But if that was the case, than why make up some unbelievable story? He groaned as he felt the pain behind his eyes spike again and pinched the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger.

He was disturbed from his contemplations by Azula as she walked past his bedroom door.

"I _told_ you she'd be like that"

Zuko lifted his head, a sickening feeling filled his stomach at the thought of his sister being able to read his mind.

"She just doesn't care about you the way I do" Azula continued.

_What?_ Azula didn't care about him. And if she did, she had a peculiar way of showing it. He stood and walked to his door. Upon opening it, he saw Azula's bedroom door stand open. He could see her lying on her bed, lazily twirling a lock of her hair between her fingers, her cell phone pressed against her ear.

"If I were with you right now, I would show you how much more I care about you than she does" Azula said in a seductive voice.

Zuko felt a shiver run down his spine. _Ugh!_ He did _not_ want to hear about his sister's love life. He quickly and silently closed the door of his room, in the hope of muting his sister's voice. Little good did it do him. He could still hear her.

"So your parents aren't home?" pause. "I can think of an excuse to get out of here" he could practically _hear_ her lick her lips. "All right, see you in half an hour. But you'd better have breakfast ready for tomorrow morning" she grumbled.

At this his head shot up. She was going out? And not coming back until tomorrow? If he could be certain of that, he could use the time to search her room for Katara's necklace. He listened carefully as Azula finished her conversation with whoever it was, and heard her rummage through her room. He timed his exit from his room well, just as Azula shut the door and nearly ploughed into him.

"Watch where you walk Zu-zu!" she scowled at him.

He ignored her and took in her appearance. She had redone her make-up, was wearing an indecently short skirt ad was carrying a weekend bag. "Going somewhere?" he inquired in a bored voice.

Azula raised one eyebrow. "Not that it's any of your business, but if dad asks, I'm having a sleepover at Ty lee's"

He hid his excitement behind a raised eyebrow of his own. "Why don't you tell him yourself?"

"I would" she said with an annoyed tone. "But he's not here right now. Something about meeting someone, somewhere" she shrugged. "I doubt he'll be home before midnight"

That just went to show how much he and his father communicated with each other. He'd had no idea his father wasn't even home. Without another word, he watched Azula walk past him and down the stairs. Five minutes later, he heard the front door slam shut. He waited another ten minutes in the corridor to be sure she wouldn't come back. He walked to his sister's door and put his hand on the doorknob. He took a deep breath. The one time he had entered her room without her permission had ended badly. If she found out he had done so again, she would kill him first, and ask questions later. Stealing himself, he turned the knob. But it wouldn't move. The door was locked.

_Locked?!_ Was Azula that suspicious? That she locked her bedroom door every time she left the house? Somehow, that did make sense, in a sick, twisted way. _So what now?_ He wouldn't just give up. There was no doubt that Azula had taken the key with her, she wouldn't hide it somewhere in the house. But was there a spare key somewhere? And if there was, where would it be? _The scullery!_

Zuko ran down the stairs, only to stop dead on the ground floor as he heard Lo rummaging in the pantry. He silenced his footsteps as he walked down the hallway. He looked around the pantry door and saw Lo with her back to him. Silently, he slipped past and dashed into the kitchen. From there he took two steps and faced the scullery door. He prayed the hinges of the door wouldn't squeak as he opened it. He was in luck, the door swung noiselessly open. He stepped inside and scanned the room. Soon his eye fell on the key cabinet hanging on the wall. Upon opening it, he found all the hanging inside neatly labelled. He sent a silent prayer to Lo and her obsession of ordering things. It took no time at all to locate the key he was after and he quickly shut the cabinet, key in hand.

A noise from the hallway told him Lo was finished in the pantry ad was walking back to the kitchen. With his heart in his throat, he dashed into the kitchen and closed the scullery door. The moment the door clicked shut, Lo walked into the kitchen.

Lo looked up and raised her eyebrows as she saw Zuko standing there. "What brings you here this time of night?" she asked, not unkindly.

Quickly pocketing the key, he came up with an excuse. "I was hungry, and was looking for a snack"

Lo clucked her tongue. "Still hungry? I would think two platefuls of my chilli would fill anyone's stomach" she looked him straight in the eye. "Then again, I was never a growing teenage boy" she walked to the cupboard over the sink and pulled out a bag of chips. She threw it at Zuko. "Enjoy yourself"

With a pretend-grateful smile, Zuko caught the bag. "Thanks" with that he turned around and walked back up the stairs.

He dumped the bag of chips in his room and returned to stand in front of Azula's door. He fished the key out of his pocket and inserted it into the lock. He turned it. A soft click signalled the unlocking of the door. With a sense of elation he pushed the door open.

Azula's room was painfully neat and clean, not a speck of dust in sight. What else sprang out was that nearly everything was red. But where the colours in Zuko's own room were also red, those were more maroon, darker. The red in Azula's room was bright scarlet. From the wallpaper, to her bedspread, to the rug on the floor.

Tentatively, he stepped inside, closing the door behind him. _Ok. If I were an evil spawn like Azula, where would I hide my spoils of war?_ He thought to himself.

He first checked the nightstand next to the bed. The drawer was filled with magazines in which he had no interest. Next he checked under the bed, but there he found nothing, not even dust. He got up from the floor and checked the desk, dressing table, behind the mirror. But there was no sign of a blue necklace. The only possible place left was the wardrobe, but that proved to be devoid of a certain necklace as well. He sighed and looked around the room again. _Where is it?_ His gaze fell on the curtains framing the window. It seemed to be an unusual place to hide anything, but knowing Azula's mind, that could just be the place to hide something. He crossed the room to the window. Halfway through, he stopped dead. He looked down, he was now standing on the blood red rug. Moving his foot again, he heard the same squeaking noise that had stopped him in the first place. It was very unlike Azula to have noticed the squeak, and not have demanded her floor be replaced by non-squeaking flooring. He quickly stepped off the rug and moved it away. The floor seemed even, with no visible bulges or dents. He spread out his hands and pressed down on the planks. Everything was quiet, no squeaks. He moved a bit further and pressed down harder. _There!_ The plank under his right hand squeaked. But now that he had found the plank, how was he going to remove it? He was convinced that what he sought, could be found under the plank. He traced the sides of the plank, but there was not enough room between the planks to lever it out. He gaze traced to where the plank ended. Maybe if he pressed down on the other side, this side would lift up? It was worth a try. He crawled to the far end of the plank and pushed down. Noiselessly, the side he had just investigated came up.

With adrenaline coursing through his veins, he caught it and moved it higher. Under it, a hollow space was revealed. And in that space was a box. Carefully he lifted the box out of its hiding place. It was surprisingly heaving for so small a box. _What does Azula keep in here?_ He wondered. _Only one way to find out._

He lifted the lid and was greeted by the sight of mere trinkets. On top of all the other knickknacks was a beautiful blue necklace with carvings in the blue pendant. He lifted it out of the box and transferred it to his pocket. His business was now concluded, but he was curious about all the other trinkets in the box. An old cloth doll in a pretty pink dress, a set of marbles, a very revealing picture of a naked nine-year-old girl Zuko didn't recognize. He delved through the box until he reached to bottom, where he found a trading card. _I _knew_ Azula stole it!_ He looked at his once most treasured trading card and remembered the day it had gone missing. Not even his mother had been able to sooth away his tears. He firmed his jaw and let everything drop back in the box. He had no use of the trading card anymore, and he was risking his life enough but taking just the necklace. He shut the lid, replaced the box ad lowered the plank. He moved the rug to its original place and surveyed the room again. Nothing could alert Azula that he'd been in here. At least, he hoped.

He left his sister's room and locked the door again. He walked into his own room with a smile on his face. He couldn't wait until he saw Katara again the next day.

That night, he dreamed about how she would thank him for returning her necklace to her.

**A/N:** Ohoo! Will Katara tell anyone about her time with Jet? How will she react when Zuko gives her back her necklace? Who was Azula talking to over the phone? And was Zuko careful enough when he searched Azula's room, or did he forget something very important? What are your conjectures about all this? In short R&R!


	16. Chapter 16 - Realizations

**A/N:** So here is a brand new chapter. Enjoy.

"Katara, Sweetie. It's time to wake up, otherwise you'll be late for work"

Gran-Gran's soft voice intruded the haze that lay over Katara's mind. She grumbled and buried her face in her soft pillow. She felt horrible. Last night, a slight headache had made itself known. She had gone to bed early in the hope that it would be over by the time she woke up. Apparently, she wasn't that lucky. Apart from the headache that had increased tenfold, she felt like throwing up. She couldn't decide what hurt more, her head, or her lower abdomen. _It's that time of the month again. _She thought to herself. She felt Gran-Gran's hand on her shoulder and reluctantly turned her head and opened her eyes to see her grandmother hovering over her.

"Oh dear" Gran-Gran said.

Katara didn't know what her face looked like, but it was clear that agony shone from every pore. She closed her eyes again, the intruding light did nothing to lighting her discomfort. Pulling the blanket over her head, she shut the offending light out.

"Katara, why don't you take a nice warm shower and clean yourself up. I'll go down to the kitchen and make you my special tea. You'll be feeling better in no time" Gran-Gran suggested.

Katara groaned again. Gran-Gran's special tea was absolutely foul. But after the first ten minutes after drinking it, it would indeed make her feel better. Drawing the covers back from her face, she looked at Gran-Gran again. "Yes please" she croaked.

Gran-Gran smiled understandingly and got up from the side of the bed. She walked out of the room, leaving Katara staring at the now empty doorway. Sighing, Katara gathered her strength to leave the warm haven that was her bed and got up.

One glance in the bathroom mirror showed her exactly how bad she looked. Her hair hung limply around her face, greasy tresses knotting together. Her blue eyes were bloodshot and the bags under her eyes enormous. Her eyes were still red rimmed from the crying the night before. She had lain in bed, staring at the ceiling, wondering what would have happened if she hadn't had said no to Jet. Would he have been gentle with her? Made it as good for her as it was for him? And then, she had imagined how it would have been if it had been Zuko doing all those things with her. From there, her mind had wandered to how it would be if she and Zuko were to land in bed together. A pleasured sigh had escaped her and had drawn her back to the present. Tears of frustration had rolled down her cheeks as she once again realised she was fantasizing about Zuko, instead of her boyfriend.

Now she stood looking at herself in the mirror and felt the shame wash over her again. She wanted to roll up in a tiny ball on the bathroom floor, cover her ears with her hands in the hope to block out the accusations her conscious hurled at her. But it wouldn't help. Her conscious was inside her head, so covering her ears wouldn't help one bit. She kept staring at her reflection, not knowing what to do with herself.

In her completely lost state, her conscious took pity on her and ceased hurling insults, and helped her out. _Step 1: Undress. Step 2: Get in the shower and turn it on. Step 3: Pick up shampoo bottle and wash hair._ Numbly, she followed the instructions, staring ahead of her as she did, but not seeing anything. _Step 4: Turn off shower and dry yourself. Step 5: Get dressed._ She thanked the Universe for the insight she'd had last night and dressed herself in the clothes she had laid out the night before.

By the time she was sitting at the kitchen table, she felt slightly less numb, and slightly more clean. She looked at the steaming mug in front of her with dismay. She cast a pleading look towards her grandmother, sitting opposite her.

Gran-Gran smiled understandingly. "It's better if you drink it all in one go"

She took up the mug and brought it to her lips. Before she could smell the fumes, she drank the dark brew. Setting the mug down, she felt a shudder run down her spine as the taste hit her palate. She quickly covered her mouth with one hand, while the other grabbed her abdomen. Pressing her eyelids closed, she endured.

She heard Gran-Gran move around the kitchen, but kept her eyes shut. After a hellish five minutes, her stomach stopped rebelling and she felt safe to remove her hand from her mouth. Slowly she opened her eyes and saw Gran-Gran had put a plate with toast in front of her. She had thought it impossible before, but now she realised she was quite hungry. She made quick work of the toast and normal tea Gran-Gran had set it front of her.

"Aren't you going to do something with your hair?" Gran-Gran asked and gestured to the mass of chestnut tresses falling wildly around Katara's face.

As a waitress of the Jasmine Dragon, she was supposed to put her hair up. Katara checked her watch. She didn't have much time left. She dashed upstairs to the bathroom and quickly brushed her teeth. Grabbing a hair tie, she ran down the stairs again and grabbed her bag and coat. "Bye, Gran-Gran!" she called over her shoulder. She ran to the bus stop and was just in time to get on board.

When she arrived at the Jasmine Dragon, Zuko and Iroh where already there, straightening tablecloths and checking the register.

Iroh looked up and smiled as she walked in. "Good morning Katara. Good to see you again. I hope your trip to Ember Island was pleasant"

She smiled back. "Good morning. The trip was very nice" she answered.

Zuko looked at her as she made her way to the linen closet to put away her bag and coat. She was a bit pale in his opinion, and there was a tightness around her mouth and eyes that hadn't been there the past week. She had braided her hair loosely, letting it fall over her right shoulder. It looked so loose, that it seemed like it might unwind with the slightest touch. Which brought thoughts of letting his fingers slide through her hair to the forefront of his mind. He smiled at her as she emerged from the linen closet, tying her apron around her. She was fumbling with the strings behind her back and her eyebrows drew together in concentration.

"Here, let me help you" he said as he stepped behind her.

She looked at him over her shoulder for a moment before sighing deeply. "Thanks"

Up close, her face showed signs of tiredness. The bluish bruises under her eyes testified to that. "Are you ok?" he asked in a soft voice.

She bent her head and unconsciously exposed the back of her neck to him. "Just tired. And a bit of a headache"

He looked down at his hands as he knotted the strings. "I have a surprise for you. I'm sure it'll make you feel better" he felt her stiffen in front of him, something he hadn't expected.

Katara heard his words feather past her ear and couldn't help bet tense. Jet had said the exact same thing only yesterday. And his 'surprise' wasn't that nice. She dreaded what Zuko thought would be a surprise. "Do you now?" she muttered.

Zuko was left staring at the back of her head. Something was seriously wrong. She wasn't exited as normal people were at the mention of a surprise. Not even slightly interested. Then it hit him like a punch to the gut. Jet had said he had a surprise for her. And clearly she wasn't feeling well now. What had happened yesterday between the two of them? Zuko was anxious to find out, but he knew she wouldn't tell him if he asked.

Before he could even make a decision on what to do next, Iroh interrupted them. "Come on you two, it's time to open up. Customers must be served"

The customers streamed steadily in, giving both Zuko and Katara a busy morning. At eleven o'clock Mr. and Mrs. Kuruk walked in and took their usual window seat.

"Well, hello dear" Mrs. Kuruk smiled as Katara came to their table to take their order. "Oh my, you look very pale. Are you alright?" she asked with concern in her voice before Katara could say anything.

Katara gave her a reassuring smile. The Kuruks were very nice people and didn't deserve her grumpiness, no matter how bad she felt. "I must confess I don't feel as well as usual. But you should not concern yourselves about me. I'll be in fine health tomorrow" at least, she hoped. While Gran-Gran's tea had lessened the pain in her lower abdomen, her head was still pounding and it took effort to keep a pained scowl from her face. "Did you have in mind what kind of tea you would like?"

"As always, what can you recommend us?" Mr. Kuruk smiled politely. "We are feeling festive today. Is there a tea that goes with our mood?"

"Festive?" Katara repeated. _Festive tea? Does something like that even exist?_ She quickly revised the Jasmine Dragon tea selection in her head. "I don't know about festive, but there are some teas that are for special occasions. We have Caramelized Pear and Apple & Cinnamon"

"Oh, those sound wonderful! We'll have one of each" Mrs. Kuruk beamed.

Katara wrote the order down. "Coming right up" she smiled.

When she came back with the tea and saw the Kuruks smiling lovingly at each other, she couldn't help but inquire. "Might I ask what brought on this festive mood?"

Mrs. Kuruk gave her a face splitting smile. "Today is our sixtieth wedding anniversary!"

"And my lovely wife still looks as beautiful as the day we exchanged our vows" Mr. Kuruk added.

"Sixty years?! Wow, congratulations. That is quite a long time" Katara exclaimed.

"And yet, it still seems like yesterday that we married" Mrs. Kuruk took her husband's hand and squeezed it fondly.

Duty called Katara away from the loving couple, and her headache momentarily forgotten, she wondered about the Kuruks. They couldn't be much older that eighty, which meant they were around twenty when they had tied the knot. To love someone and be certain you wanted to spend the rest of your life with that person that young an age was astounding for Katara. She kept mulling it over in her mind as she served the customers.

Zuko noticed her distraction and wondered what had brought it on. It was clear she was with her thoughts somewhere else. Not that she wasn't attentive to the customers, but there was an air of detachment around her. She didn't even notice one of the customers flirting with her. Or she was simply not interested, but that seemed unlikely. And he wasn't the only one to notice it. After a while, Iroh held Katara up as she was picking up an order.

"Are you alright Katara? You seem a bit absentminded"

Katara blinked at Iroh as if she just saw him, thus proving his assessment. "I was just thinking about love" she said.

"Love? Are you having boy trouble?"

Katara turned slightly red, taken aback by Iroh's forwardness. "No, not at all" she waved the notion away. She and Jet were fine, even if his behaviour the day before was a bit disconcerting. "I was actually thinking about Mr. and Mrs. Kuruk. They've been married for sixty years. And I was wondering what it was like to love a person so much that you can stay happy together for such a long time. It doesn't happen that much anymore these days"

"You have a boyfriend, don't you?" Iroh asked.

"Yes" Katara answered, not knowing where he was going.

"Can't you see yourself growing old with him?"

Katara blinked again. She had never thought about it before. She and Jet were together now, had fun, but she had never envisioned them old and wrinkled, sitting on some porch together. The more she thought about it, the less it appealed. Even though Jet was older, sometimes he still had a childish streak that she found slightly annoying. Her temporarily forgotten headache came rushing back with a vengeance.

Iroh saw the indecision on her face and comforted her. "It's not a bad thing if you don't know. You're young, being indecisive is not a crime. Some even say it's better to meet you future partner later in life, because you would then have a cleared view of your own heart. 'Love is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you gonna get'"

Zuko came to the bar and heard the quote. "Isn't it 'Life is like a box of chocolates'?" he said with raised eyebrows.

Iroh waved the comment away. "Doesn't matter, what I mean is, let yourself be surprised. You're young, both of you. Don't tie yourself down with expectations about certain things. Take life, and love, as it comes" with that, Iroh turned his back and continued preparing tea.

Zuko and Katara exchanged a look of uncertainty. They both understood Iroh's meaning, but weren't sure how to react to it. After that, they went back to work.

As the day went by, Katara began to feel progressively worse. The headache had intensified and the pain in her abdomen returned after four o'clock. When Iroh at the end of the day finally turned the sign on the door to 'closed', she was at the end of her tether. Aside from her head and abdomen that hurt, a feeling of nausea had made itself known after she had eaten a bagel at lunch. She could barely keep herself together and all she wanted to do was go home and crawl in her bed in the hope she would feel better on the morrow. In entire accord with her mood, it had begun to drizzle outside, making her feel even more down. But everything was clean, and the work was done for today. She had already grabbed her bag and coat and was about to say her goodbyes before heading out the door. Before she could utter a word however, Zuko grabbed her arm.

"Katara, wait. I still have your surprise" the hold he had on her arm wasn't strong or threatening, but in her current mood she wasn't all that happy with it.

She drew her arm from his grasp. "Can't it wait? I'm not in the mood for a surprise"

"I think you'd want it now, rather than later" he said as he looked at her profile.

With a deep sigh of resignation, she turned to face him. "Fine. Whatever you say"

He eyed her with concern in his eyes, then he reached in his apron's pocket and withdrew a small, neatly packed parcel. "Here" he handed it to her.

Her brows shot up. "What is it?" she asked as she started removing the paper.

Moments later she was holding a familiar blue necklace. "My mother's necklace!" she exclaimed. Her eyes were wide open as she looked up at him. For a moment elation and love shone in the sapphire blue depths. Than her look turned suspicious. "How come you had it?" she asked in a controlled voice.

"I found it-"

"Found it?" she cut him off. "More like stole it"

He missed the accusing tone in her voice as he watched her put the necklace on. In order to do so, she lifted her hair aside and exposed her throat. "I suppose… In a way I did" he had stolen it back from Azula and- Was that a _hickey_ on the base of her throat?

"How could you?" the cold steel in her voice made him look into her eyes, away from her neck.

"Excuse me?" where had the sudden coldness come from?  
"I thought we were friends Zuko"

"I thought so too-"

"Then why did you steal my necklace Zuko?" she cut him off again. "Friends don't do that to each other"

Horrible realization dawned. "Katara, I didn't steal it, not from you" his face showed revulsion at the thought.

"Oh save it Zuko. Save it for someone who cares!" she said with cold contempt.

Before he could say or do anything to stop her, she turned around and stalked out of the Jasmine Dragon, leaving him staring after her. He had _not_ expected that outcome. He had imagined she would be deliriously happy, and reward him for returning a precious keepsake to her. He had not even considered the possibility that she would cast _him_ with the role of the villain. But she had, and she had stormed out, probably never wanting to talk to him again. Despair came over him at the thought. He had wanted to make her happy, and instead she was now pissed at him. The Universe just couldn't give him a break, could it?

Katara ran along the street towards the nearest bus stop. She felt tears run down her face and in the back of her mind she knew she was drawing peoples' attention by her wild dash over the sidewalk. She didn't care, right now, she didn't have much room to spare for thoughts of what strangers might think of her. She felt betrayed. Betrayed by the one guy she thought she could trust. Clearly she had been wrong to do so. And it hurt, like a knife through the heart. And that, on top of her other hurts, was too much. She couldn't stop the tears anymore. _How could he?_ Her mind kept crying. _How could he do this to me? I thought he was different. _ That after what he told her on Ember Island, he would never do something so low. But her necklace had gone missing before the trip. So was it possible he'd had a change of heart? But how could that be? And why? Why give her necklace back when he had stolen it in the first place? Or did he want her to feel grateful towards him for returning it?

Well, she had certainly thwarted that ridiculous notion.

The bus arrived and the driver gave her a weird look as she got in. She took a seat in the back and stared gloomily out the window. Out of habit, she clutched the pendant at her throat, relieved to feel the familiar shape in her hand and around her neck. Tears still leaked from her eyes and she didn't try to quell them. Her thought were in too much disarray for that. By the time she got home, she was ready to fall apart completely. It took her five minutes to insert her key in the keyhole of the door, her vision severely blurred by the tear.

Kanna was in the living room and heard her granddaughter come in. One look at the tearstained face was enough to send her in an anxious dither. Getting up from the sofa, she crossed the room and folded Katara in a comforting hug. They stood there for a while, comforting and being comforted, while sobs tore their way free of Katara's chest.

After some time, Kanna led her granddaughter to the sofa, and still in each other's embrace, they sank down upon it. Slowly the sobs turned to occasional sniffles. Kanna kept stroking Katara's back throughout.

"Thanks Gran-Gran" Katara said as she pulled away.

Kanna gave her a don't-be-ridiculous look ad squeezed her hand. "Will you tell me what is troubling you?"

"Oh Gran-Gran. I thought he was different. Good. But he is just an inconsiderate jerk"

Kanna had no idea who her granddaughter was talking about. Katara had recently mentioned some boy named Zuko, but she also had her boyfriend, Jet. It could be either of them. "Calm down dear. First, tell me who 'he' is and then what heinous act he has committed to upset you so"

Katara drew in a deep breath, she needed to get this of her chest. "Zuko. I thought he was kind, generous, even beneath his scowl. And on Ember Island he told me a very personal story and I thought we were friends. But apparently he was just amusing himself with me. He stole my necklace and kept it. And then, today, he gave it back. Expecting me to be grateful. And he just betrayed me Gran-Gran!"

Kanna listened attentively to Katara's tirade without interrupting. Her eyes descended to the necklace, once more secured around Katara's throat. But something in the story didn't make sense. She had heard Katara speak about Zuko in an almost reverent way, and even Sokka saw Zuko as a good and decent specimen. The mental image she had of Zuko was of a kind hearted but complex individual, who would ever do something dishonourable.

"Somewhere that doesn't ring right" Kanna contemplated. "From all you and Sokka had told me about this Zuko doesn't paint him as a petty thief. And are you certain it was he who took your necklace?"

"He even admitted he had stolen it" Katara answered dully.

"But I thought you lost your necklace in the girls' changing room. What would a boy do there? What did he say exactly about stealing it?"

"He gave me the necklace and I asked how he got it. He said he had found it. I didn't believe him, because how could he have found it in the girls' locker room? So I accused him of stealing it. And he said" another sob interrupted her. "He said: 'I suppose, in a way I did'"

"But that still doesn't explain how he got it from the girls' locker room. Whether he stole it or found it. It was in the girls' locker room and Zuko doesn't strike me as one to enter the women's sacred domain. I think it more likely that a girl took it, whether by mistake or with intend, and Zuko recognized your necklace and retrieved it for you. Does that not make more sense?"

Katara was about to shake her head to deny her grandmother's statement when she froze. There was one girl who bore her ill will, she was certain of it. And that same girl live in the same house as Zuko. Azula. Katara knew Azula to be vindictive, and hadn't Zuko warned her Azula would get back at her for covering her in orange juice? Katara wanted to slap herself for not thinking about it before. Azula had stolen her necklace. And when Zuko had told her that in a way he had stolen it… He had probably meant he had stolen in _back_ from Azula. He had even said as much be telling her he hadn't stolen it from her.

Katara felt deeply ashamed of herself, by first accusing him, and then not wanting to listen to his defence, she had probably hurt him deeply. Tears came to her eyes again as she pictured his face, the moment before she had turned away from him. Shock, certainly, but also a deep hurt had been visible.

She clapped her hands to her face. "Oh, Gran-Gran! How could I have been so stupid? Of course he didn't steal it from _me_. He stole it from _her_, from Azula. His sister! She stole it from me because I threw orange juice at her! But it was a food fight! And she had behaved like a total bitch towards me. And now I have unjustifiably accused him! He probably never wants to talk to me again!" she dissolved in to tears again. This time at the horrifying thought of having destroyed their budding friendship.

Kanna held her again and let her cry her misery away. Not really understanding the whole orange juice-food fight-bitch thing.

"How could I be so _stupid_?! He probably hater me right now. Gran-Gran, I don't want him to hate me! I have to tell him I am sorry. But how can I? He wouldn't want to talk to me" Katara wailed.

"There is only one way to know for certain, dear. You should call him"

Katara looked up, clearly the thought hadn't penetrated the haze surrounding her mind. "Yes! I should call him" she pulled away from Kanna and grabbed the phone from the table beside the sofa. "I should call him" she muttered again.

Before she could dial his number, Kanna deftly plucked the phone from Katara's grasp. "Dearest, you are distraught and in no mood to make a level headed phone call. Wait until you have calmed yourself down and feel better. He will still be there later on. But for now, I suggest you calm yourself. Take a nice warm bath to clear your mind and ponder on what you want to tell him. Then, after dinner, you can call him. Now, take a deep breath"

Following her grandmother's advice, Katara drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. _Gran-Gran's right. I have to calm down_. "You're right Gran-Gran. Thank you, you're the best" she hugged her grandmother.

"I know dear" Kanna said with a smile. "Now off you go and soak in a hot bath for a while"

After a long soak and reviving dinner, Katara took the phone and dialled Zuko's number. After only two rings, he answered.

"Katara?" he sounded half dubious, half hopeful.

"Hi Zuko-" her voice stuck in her throat.

"Hey" he answered quietly.

"IwantedtoapologizeaboutthewayIactedthisafternoon" she blurted out before she lost her courage.

"You wanted to _what_? I didn't catch that" he sounded careful.

"To apologize about the way I acted this afternoon" she repeated more measuredly.

"Apologize? You didn't call to shout at me?" he said with genuine surprise.

She closed her eyes as she felt the shame come over her again. "No, I won't shout. But I need some explanation about how you got my necklace. So would it be ok if I come over tomorrow? To talk about it face to face?" she asked.

Silence greeted her question. Then, "Sure. What time?"

"Noon?"

"Noon's good" pause. "Well, see you tomorrow than"

"Yes, see you tomorrow. And Zuko?"

"What?"

"Thank you for returning my necklace to me" with that she hung up. _Step 1: accomplished._ But she still had tomorrow to dread.

The next day, five minutes before the agreed time, Zuko watched from the living room window as Katara got out of her brother's car. She closed the door and waved him off. Then she turned around and walked the garden path to the front door. Zuko was already in the hallway as she rang the doorbell. Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself and opened the door.

"Hi" he greeted as he looked down on her.

"Hey" she said as she forced herself to look him in the eye. "Thank you for agreeing to see me"

Not knowing what to say to that, he took a step aside. "Come on in"

She took a deep breath and walked past him into the hallway. "Is there somewhere we can talk in private?" after all, this was Azula's home as well, and if her suspicions were correct, it would be better if no one overheard them.

"Sure" was all he said ad led the way to his bedroom. He had wondered all night what it was Katara wanted to talk about and he felt now more like a bundle of nerves then a normal human being.

When he closed the bedroom door behind her he had to brace himself to look and act as normal as possible. He turned around to face her and was struck by how she looked now that she was standing in front of him, in his bedroom. Just the two of them. _Alone_. He swallowed and tried to push away the upcoming salacious thoughts.

"I don't know whether to begin with thanking you, or with apologizing" she said timidly.

He had to clear his throat to find his voice. "Well, you already did both over the phone" her parting statement, uttered in such a soft, _seductive_, voice had sent heat coursing through his veins. "So why don't you start with explaining your change of hearts?"

He saw her cheeks turn red even as she bowed her head to avoid his gaze.

"Yesterday was a really crappy day for me. I felt terrible in the morning, I had a lot on my mind. As the day wore on, it only got worse. Then, when you stopped me when I was leaving I… I don't know, I just couldn't handle much more. So when you gave me back my necklace, my underactive imagination gave me the most logical – and most wrong – conclusion. Namely, that you had stolen my necklace. And then – I felt so stupid for not thinking of it before – I remembered Azula. She had access to the girls' locker room, from where my necklace disappeared. _And_ she had a serious grudge against me. So it seemed much more logical that she had taken it, and that you had stolen it back from her" she looked at him, doubt still in her eyes. "That's what happened, didn't it?"

He could only nod mutely.

"I thought so… And I yelled at you, accused you. I am so sorry I did that. Can you forgive me?" her eyes were softly pleading.

He let out a breath he had been unconsciously holding, and smiled at her. "Of course I forgive you. I must admit, when you walked out on me like that… I hadn't expected it. And I thought you'd never want to speak to me again, with what you thought I had done…" he confessed.

She gave him a wry smile. "And I thought _you_ would never want to talk to _me_ after I so unjustifiably accused you"

He smiled back at her. "Guess we were both fools. So, are we still friends?"

"Yes, we are definitely friends"

"And when friends had a fight, they hug to make up" he hatched.

He smile turned shy. "I suppose they do" she took a step towards him. And another, until she was close enough to put her arms around his waist. She laid her head against his chest and closed her eyes.

Zuko put his arms around her small form and drew her against him. Slowly he lowered his head so his cheek rested on her hair. _This is good. This is heaven_.

He didn't know how long they stood there, but somewhere along the line, the peace in his mind changed to more intimate thoughts.

How would she react if he were to kiss her again? Would she reject him? Or would she welcome his advances like she had last time? But what would happen afterwards? Would she run from him _again_? Maybe, it was better not to risk it. "I think I'd better take you home" before he would inevitably change his mind.

She smiled calmly up at him, oblivious to his inner turmoil to lean down and taste her lips again. "That would be nice, thank you"

They disengaged and Zuko opened the door for her. In the corridor, Katara heard a low, definitely male, rumble from the room on the other side of the corridor. She raised her eyebrows and looked back at Zuko. He looked just as confused as she felt, but his ears turned red in embarrassment. Clearly Azula was entertaining someone in her room.

What they heard next made them both freeze.

"Oh! Yes! Oh, Jet! YESSS!"

**A/N:** Is it just me, or did Katara go a bit crazy there? Accusing Zuko like that? Tss tss. Anyway, R&R if you want to make my day!


	17. Chapter 17 - Misery

**A/N:** So here is a brand new chapter for you to enjoy.

"Katara?" Zuko asked hesitantly. He had no idea how she would react. For now, she still stood frozen on the same spot. He wanted to touch her shoulder, draw her into his arms, cover her ears to block the noises that came from inside Azula's room. But he was afraid of what might happen if he did. Would she fly into a raging fit and storm into the room? Or break down in front of him? Both possibilities fell into the scope of Katara's emotional behaviour.

He steeled himself and prayed that what he was about to do wouldn't backfire and bite him in the ass. Moving to stand in front of her, he put both his hands on her shoulders and ducked his head so his face was level with hers.

"Katara! Snap out of it" he gave her shoulders a gentle shake.

She looked up at him, her eyes and face completely blank. Then she blinked and unmistakable hurt and heartache filled her eyes.

Without further thought, he drew her into his arms, the side of her face against his chest while his hand covered her still exposed ear. But she wasn't having it. With a snarl she wrestled her way free of his arms. He looked at her face again and saw that the pain was replaced by a look of fury. She stalked to the offending door and paused for a moment. She seemed to steel herself before taking hold of the doorknob and swinging the door wide open.

Later on, Zuko would admire her guts for it, but now he just dreaded whatever she would encounter on the other side of the door. To show his support for her, he took a deep breath and came to stand next to her in the doorway.

Katara didn't know what was happening. She stood in the corridor staring at nothing, unable to believe what her ears were telling her. She wasn't aware of her environment, except from the sound emitting from the room across. She felt someone shake her and she blinked. Zuko's face was right in front of hers, a concerned look covering his features. Then the pain hit her, like a punch to the gut, a blow to the head, a knife through the heart. The pain was so much worse than she ever thought possible. _How could Jet do this to me?_ Her inner voice cried.

She felt Zuko's arms around her and cover her ears. A small part of her felt grateful for what he did, but the bigger part was getting riled up. _How could Jet do this to me?_ The tone of the question had changed to fury. She pulled away from Zuko. She had to do _something_ to lessen the rage inside her.

She spun around and walked to Azula's bedroom door. She gave herself five seconds to steel herself before she swung open the door. The force she used was enough to send the door banging against the wall, startling the couple that resided in the bed.

There was a mad scramble of naked limbs and thrown up sheets on the bed. With a yelp, Jet was pushed out of the bed and he quickly grabbed a pillow to cover his private parts. Azula lay back in the bed with the sheet casually draped over her breasts and clutched under her arms. While Jet looked surprised and embarrassed, Azula only looked slightly annoyed.

"Really Zu-zu. The fact that you don't have a sex life to speak of, doesn't mean you can intrude in mine… Oh!" that last was occasioned because she looked up for the first time and saw Katara standing in the doorway as well as her brother.

"What the _hell_ is going on?" Katara ground out from between gritted teeth.

"Katara! Wh… What are you doing here?" Jet looked thunderstruck at finding his girlfriend in the doorway.

"I believe I asked you first"

Azula snorted. "What does it look like, peasant? We were having sex. I'd say even you could deduce that"

"And of course you don't mind having sex with someone who already has a girlfriend" Katara bit out. "Or has he conveniently forgot to mention it?" her gaze shifted back to Jet.

"Oh, I knew you two were seeing each other… But apparently he doesn't mind being unfaithful" her eyes strayed to her brother. "And why should he be?" she asked with a raised eyebrow to Zuko.

Zuko did his best to show no outward sign to his sister's taunt. Inside, he wanted to wring her neck.

Katara ignored Azula last statement and looked her sure-to-be-ex boyfriend up and down. He was still clutching the pillow against himself, looking everywhere but at her. "Are you going to give me an explanation, or are you going to hide behind _her_?" there was enough cold contempt in that last word to freeze water on a hot summer's day.

Now Jet did look at her. "Katara" he began. "You are a sweet girl… But you're also… also…" he was casting around for an appropriate word. "Also very young and… and fragile. You are someone who needs to be protected and cossetted, and I like you, I really do. But I have my own needs too"

"So just because I didn't want to have sex with you, you're running to someone else" it wasn't a question, it was a statement.

"I didn't want you to know about it… To keep you from being hurt" to Katara's ears he sounded pathetic.

"Of course you didn't" she rolled her eyes. "You preferred to cheat on me. Just tell me one thing though. Did you start it, or did she come to you?" _Why do I want to know that? Am I deliberately trying to hurt myself?_ But she had to know.

"I went to him" Azula said with a smug smile. "You deserved it after what you did to me"

Katara looked at Azula again, still reclining casually in bed. "Because stealing my necklace wasn't enough for you?" she said with loathing.

She had the satisfaction to see Azula's eyes widen as they gazed at the necklace that was once again around her throat. Azula's eyes narrowed again and she shot a killing glance at her brother.

"It wasn't. But what matters it now? You have it back, no doubt thanks to my idiotic brother"

The rage inside her surged at the slur against Zuko. "Why would you care how I got it back? You have him now" she nodded to Jet. "I hope you're happy together, because we're done" the last was directed at Jet. She saw his face fall and he took a step towards her.

"Katara-" he didn't get any further as she punched him against his jaw. Hard.

Without further ado, Katara clutched her now smarting hand and turned around. Stalking out of the room felt like a relieve. She knew Zuko was following her as she walked down the stairs. Once she was in the hallway on the ground floor she stopped. Where was she supposed to go now? What was she supposed to do? She'd just dumped Jet, he was an asshole for cheating on her, so why did she feel so… Whatever it was that she felt. She couldn't name all the emotion rolling inside her.

"Katara?" she heard Zuko's voice just behind her.

"What?" she knew she sounded agitated, but didn't care.

"You're bleeding"

"What!" she looked down on her right hand and saw blood oozing from a graze on her knuckle. "Oh crap!" no wonder it hurt so much.

"Come on" Zuko moved around her and grabbed her wrist. He led her to the kitchen where he sat her down at the breakfast bar. He then retrieved a towel and wet it under the running faucet. After wringing it, he folded it neatly and came back. Careful not to hurt her, he dabbed at the wound and removed the blood. That done, he folded the towel around her hand. "Your hand might swell a bit after a punch like that. Better to prevent that" he explained.

She let out a breath and relaxed all her muscles. "Thanks" she said as she clutched her hand again. Her mind was beginning to clear and she could more easily pinpoint some of the emotions. There was anger, hatred even, and betrayal, but also a vast amount of hurt. So much even that she felt like it was crushing her. She felt tears burn behind her eyes. She blinked to stop them, she hated crying in front of others.

Zuko saw her struggle, he couldn't begin to imagine how she felt. He knew she wasn't wont to cry in public, not if she could help it, but she had already surprised him with her mean punch. He'd had no idea she could throw a punch like that, but the way Jet had reeled back after his fist had connected with his jaw bespoke of the considerable amount of force behind it.

"Remind me to never get on your bad side" he joked, trying to get her to concentrate on other things.

She looked down at her hand. "And why is that" she asked.

"From the way Jet's head snapped to the side when you hit him, I'd say you have a strong arm. No doubt he will be sporting a bruise tomorrow at school" he gave her a crooked smile. "I wouldn't want you to do that to me"

She gave him a wry smile in return. "That felt good, you know? I've never thought myself to be a violent person, but I just _had_ to hit him"

"I'm sure the Universe will forgive you. He deserved it"

Her smile wavered and she looked down wistfully. "I suppose" she muttered to herself.

He looked at her and saw the sadness and hurt settle over her like a blanket. He didn't know what else to say or do to make her feel better. He sighed deeply. "Come on, I'll drive you home" he led the way to the garage and held open the passenger door so she could climb in the car. He quickly walked around the car and got in the driver's seat.

On the way to Katara's house they were silent. Zuko wasn't in the mood for music and sensed that Katara wasn't either. He occasionally glanced her way while he was also trying to watch the road. She hadn't uttered a word since leaving the kitchen and now she seemed to be submerged in her own thoughts as she stared out the window. She was still holding her right hand against her chest, making Zuko wonder how much it still hurt. Even when he pulled up in front of her house, she didn't seem to be aware of it.

"Katara?" how many times had he said her name today? She was seriously shaken.

She turned her head and looked at him blankly.

"We're here. Do you want me to come in with you?" he didn't want to leave her alone to vent for herself in the state she was in, but to just assume she would welcome him in without asking seemed like pushing his luck. "Or is someone home to console you?"

She shook her head. "There's no one home. Sokka said he was going out this afternoon and Gran-Gran is at her Pai Sho club"

Zuko raised his eyebrows. "Your grandmother plays Pai Sho?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes, why? Is there something wrong with Pai Sho?" a fierce look had come to her eyes, as if she dared him to say yes.

He held up both his hands in a placating manner. "No, not at all. Uncle Iroh plays it too. It's just, I always viewed it as an old men's game. But that's just my perception"

She gave a short laugh. "'Old men's game'? Well, Gran-Gran is definitely a woman, so maybe you should revise your opinion. Maybe an old _people_'s game is a better suited description"

"You're probably right" Zuko nodded. "Wouldn't want to insult your grandmother by thinking she's a man" he joked lamely.

She felt into a fit of helpless laughter at his dry comment. It hadn't even been that funny, but her emotions were scattered all over the place and she couldn't help herself.

Zuko watched her as tears started to stream down her face. The laughter turned to sobs. When she laughed, she had clutched her sides and pulled up her legs, now she was clutching her legs against her chest as she put her head on her knees and cried. He got out of the car and walked to her side. As he pulled open her door, the floodgates where well and truly open. He didn't know whether to let her sit there, or pull her into his arms to comfort her. He looked helplessly up and down the street in the hope of finding the right answer. Instead, he only saw nosy passers-by wondering where the wailing noise came from. Perhaps it was a better idea to take Katara inside her house, where no one would disturb her.

A quick survey of the car brought her bag to light. He knew it was considered a federal crime to dug into a lady's purse, at least by said lady, but right now, he didn't have much of a choice. He just hoped Katara's keys were inside her bag and not somewhere on her person. With a heartfelt prayer he opened the bag and nearly groaned in defeat. Of course it had been too much to hope for finding the keys at first glance. _Ok, Katara is practical. She wouldn't throw her keys in this mess, would she? She'd never find them again._ He thought to himself as he dug through the bag. He encountered her phone, a roll of peppermints, her wallet, a couple of pictures, and a lot of things he didn't even want to identify. He traced the sides of the bag with his fingers and found what he was looking for. A side pocket with a zipper. He zipped the pocket open and exhaled in relieve as his fingers touched the cold jagged metal that could only be a set of keys. He withdrew his hand, the keys dangling from his fingers.

He looked at Katara again ad saw she hadn't moved and was still crying her heart out. He walked the garden path to the front door. After several tries, he had the right key and opened the door. He deposited Katara's bag on the hall table and made his way back to the car.

"Katara, you should go inside" he said softly.

She gave no sign of having heard him. With a sigh he bent down and lifted her in his arms. She put her head against his throat and her arms around his neck and clung to him. She was surprisingly light. Still, it took some effort to close the car door and lock it while he was holding her bridal style. But he managed and soon they were both inside the house. He walked into the living room where he sat down on the sofa and held her close. Her tears were soaking through his shirt, but he didn't care.

He didn't know how long they sat like that, but eventually the sobs quieted. He was about to ask her if she felt better when he heard the front door open. Moments later an elderly woman walked in to the living room. She stopped dead when she saw them sitting on the sofa together. Zuko wanted to get up to properly introduce himself, but Katara was still clinging to him like her life depended on it.

"You must be Zuko" the woman said.

Surprised, he nodded his head. "And you are Katara and Sokka's grandmother, Mrs.-"

She waved the title away. "Just Kanna, dear boy. Without the Mrs." she looked at her granddaughter. "Katara, are you alright?" she asked in a concerned tone.

Her grandmother's voice pulled her out of her dark thoughts and Katara looked up. Suddenly aware of what this must look like to her grandmother, Katara pulled out of Zuko's arms and stood. "Gran-Gran! I didn't know you were back. When did you get here?"

Kanna shot a concerned glance at Zuko, who slowly got to his feet as well. She looked at her granddaughter again. "I just walked in dear"

"I must make some tea!" Katara said in a rush. Before either Kanna or Zuko could stop her, she was out of the living room and in the kitchen.

Kanna looked at Zuko, a question clear in her old eyes.

He didn't know how to bring the news and doubted Kanna would want to hear every gory detail. So he tried to keep it as straightforward as he could. "Katara is upset because she just broke up with her boyfriend"

"She broke up with Jet? Why?"

"Er… I think she could better explain the why of it" Zuko muttered.

Kanna nodded in understanding just as Katara walked back into the room with the tea.

"I think I'd better go now" he said to Katara as she set the tray down.

She looked up at him and nodded. "Thank you for staying"

He nodded back and turned to Kanna. "Nice to have met you" with that he fled from the house to avoid certain 'girl talk'.

When he got home, he found Azula sitting at his desk in his bedroom, leafing through his sketchpads.

"What are you doing in my room?" he asked coldly.

She looked back at him with hard eyes. "I thought it only fair, since you've been in my room" she nodded to the spare key he had left on his desk.

He felt he could hit himself.

She turned back to leafing through his sketches. She was now going through the once he had made on Ember Island. "I'm surprised really. I never thought you'd have the guts to pull such a stunt. But then again" she stopped leafing and looked at a sketch. "You seem to be pretty fond of that peasant, aren't you?" she held up a sketch of Katara. "Enough to bring down my wrath on your head"

He wanted to rip the sketch from his sister's fingers, but he knew she wold anticipate such a move.

"Really Zuko? Even _you_ can do better than _her_" Azula sneered.

He refused to let her draw him out. "Get out of my room"

Azula rose from the chair, still holding the sketch as she walked to the door, a dissatisfied sneer on her lips.

"I'll take that" he held out his hand for the sketch.

"You wish" she replied. With quick moves she tore the sketch in half and threw the pieces at him. Then she walked past him to her own room.

The week that followed made the situation at home even worse for Zuko. He hadn't thought Azula could still be such a whining little daddy's girl as she had been when she was six years old, but he was wrong. She could still whine and canoodle her way into her father's heart and get him to do anything she wanted. So when she said the lock on her bedroom door needed to be replaced because Zuko had broken into her room, it happened. And of course Zuko had to pay for it. One day, when he came home from school, he found she had ransacked his room and all his sketches were torn to pieces. Luckily he had anticipated after she had torn apart the sketch of Katara, so he had relocated most of his drawings to a safer place. But it still hurt to see the drawings he had put so much effort and time in torn apart.

At school, Zuko avoided Azula as if she was infected with the plague and spent his spare time in the arts and crafts classroom, playing least in sight with nearly everyone. Because that was one of the perks of having a father who was also principal of your school. Didn't matter where you were, you would get punished whether you were at home or at school.

For Katara, the week didn't go any better than Zuko's. At school she pretended to be unruffled by her break up with Jet, who was now daily sitting with Azula and her minions. It was very satisfying to see that he indeed had a bruise along his jawline, just as Zuko had predicted. When she was at home, she let her mask slip and sank into a worrying silence. She couldn't help but think it was her own fault that Jet had cheated on her. What if she had had sex with him? Would he still have gone to Azula afterwards? Or would he have remained faithful to her? Or had it been going on ever before he had tried to have sex with her? So many questions, and she never got close to the answers.

When Saturday came, it was a relieve for Zuko to escape to the Jasmine dragon for work. He got there earlier than usual, but even so, Katara beat him there. She was already sitting at the bar, talking with Iroh when Zuko came in.

"Aren't both of you eager to work today?" Iroh observed with a smile.

They both murmured their consent but didn't elaborate on the why.

"Are you ok?" Zuko asked when Iroh walked into the kitchen, leaving them alone.

She looked up at him and gave him a tight smile. "I've been better" with that she walked off, and turned the sign on the door. It was clear she didn't want to talk about it.

The steady stream of costumers kept them both busy throughout the morning and well into the afternoon. All of them demanding to be served with a smile.

"Uncle?" Zuko asked when there was a lull in the afternoon.

Iroh looked up from the tea he was pouring. "Yes, Nephew?"

"I was wondering…" Zuko began. He didn't quite know how to formulate his request. "Don't you feel lonely sometimes? I mean, you live on your own, with no one to keep you company"_ Can you get even more general?_ His inner voice jeered.

"Lonely?" clearly, Iroh had never given it much thought. "What makes you think I feel lonely? I have all the customers of the Jasmine Dragon, and you and Katara to keep me company whenever I want"

Zuko shook his head. He was going at it the wrong way. "What I'm actually trying to ask you… Is if you ever given thought to getting someone to live with"

Iroh laughed. "Oh, there are plenty of people I don't mind living with. Even asked one or two to do so. But alas… The beautiful women turned my poor self down"

Zuko took a deep breath. "I actually meant myself. If _I_ could live with you" he held his breath as he watched his uncle take in his words and their meaning.

Iroh turned serious as he studied his nephew. He took in the tight set of shoulders and the serious look on the young face. "Zuko, are things at home going bad?" _again?_ He didn't add the last word.

"They're not going good" Zuko answered.

Before Iroh could respond, the bell above the door tinkled, announcing a new arrival.

Katara, who had just stopped beside Zuko at the bar, looked over her shoulder and stiffened. Zuko felt it and looked at her. Her eyes were fixed on one of the tables near the window. Not knowing what caused such a reaction, Zuko followed her gaze and stiffened as well. At the table sat Azula with Jet, vigorously making out. He turned back to Katara.

"You don't have to go to them" he said in a low voice. "I can take their order"

She looked at him again. It was so tempting to take him up on his offer. Even though he would hate serving them, just as much as she did. She shook her head. "No. They're on my side of the room. And they probably know it. They're here to mess with me, so it's better that I go. Otherwise they'll likely think I'm a coward. Which I'm not" she stated.

Before she could lose her courage, she walked to the recently occupied table.

"Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon" she said, while Jet and Azula were still involved with each other. "Can I get your order?" she tried to sound as polite as possible.

Azula drew away from Jet and smiled lazily up at her. "Yes" she said with a sugar sweet voice. "Me and my boyfriend would like to have a pot of Love and Passion tea. I've heard it is quite stimulating… But tell me, what is in it exactly?"

Katara had to grit her teeth to keep from reacting the way she wanted. But Iroh wouldn't appreciate it if she started strangling the customers. And stabbing Azula with a pastry fork would even be less appreciated. It would be a nightmare to get the bloodstains out of the table cloth. "It is, as you say, very stimulating. The Love and Passion tea is a melange of rose petals and the ginseng herb. It is medically proven that ginseng stimulates the sex glands. Older couples especially find it very useful" She shrugged. "But you know how they get when they're older. No sex life at all" she said as sweetly as she could. "Will that be all?"

When Azula gave her a tight lipped, mute nod, she turned around and with a smug smile made her way back to the bar. What she had said about the ginseng herb was entirely true, she had heard Iroh talk about it once with an older man who wanted to 'surprise' his wife. Zuko looked at her as she gave the order to Iroh and let out a short laugh. The Love and Passion tea was usually only drunk by the older patronage of the Jasmine Dragon, so he was aware of the ginseng properties as well.

It was now clear to both of them that Azula had dragged Jet to the tea house for no other reason than to antagonize Katara, but she had unwittingly made a fool out of herself.

Much to the gratification of both Zuko and Katara.

**A/N:** HA! in your face Azula! you shouldn't mess with them, it'll come back to hunt you! You just pissed of the writer of this story, so beware... horrible things will happen to you know, if you don't watch out! MUHAHAHAHA. Anyway, R&R to give your opinion.


	18. Chapter 18 - Cleaning House

**A/N:** And here is the next chapter. Enjoy!

"Ok Katara, that's it!"

Katara looked up from her biology homework to see Suki dropping in the seat next to hers. She was sitting at her customary table in the study lounge. She had taken refuge from the chattering students and was hiding from the sight of Azula and Jet kissing. "What's it?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

"I've had enough of your moping around" Suki stated.

"I'm not moping around!" Katara said indignantly. "Why would I do that?"

"Yes, you are! I saw the look on your face when you saw Jet and Azula. And I'm telling you, they're not worth it. So stop it"

Katara let her shoulders slump. There was no use in pretending Suki was wrong. Every time she saw them, she felt a stab of insecurity of herself. She couldn't shake off the thought that Jet cheating on her was somehow her own fault.

"It's been a week and a half, it's time to get over it. So that's why I'm coming home with you after school"

Katara frowned. "How would that help?"

Suki rolled her eyes as if Katara was being deliberately obtuse. "Because we are going to have a girl talk. You are going to tell me _exactly_ what is still bothering you. Then we are going to ritually burn everything that reminds you of Jet. And _then_ we are going to discuss what you are going to wear on Friday"

"Friday? What's on Friday?"

"Katara!" Suki exclaimed. "This is what I meant! You don't pay any attention to anything anymore! Hello? Friday Halloween? Ring a bell?"

Startled, Katara looked at her best friend. "Halloween is _this_ Friday? But I don't even have one single idea what kind of costume I want to wear!"

"Good thing you have me. And relax, if we can come up with an idea today, we have tomorrow and Friday afternoon for the shopping"

Katara nodded mutely. She had been so absorbed with her own problems that she had totally forgotten what was happening around her. And to forget the Halloween dance was telling indeed. Ever since she was little she had dressed up on Halloween. First for trick or treating in the neighbourhood, and later, when she was in high school, the Halloween dance. Last year, she had nearly won the prize for best costume at the dance. She had been dressed up as Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, from the Avengers. Looking back on it, the reason she had nearly won was because all the guys were salivating over her tight, black, revealing outfit, with the fake gun strapped around her upper thigh. What was she going to wear this year?

"Do you already have a costume?" she asked Suki.

Suki nodded. "The girls from the self defence group decided to go as the Kyoshi warriors" she smiled smugly.

"Let me guess. It was your idea" Katara scoffed.

"Of course it was. Think about how cool it will be. A group of girls, all dressed the same, that has got to leave behind an impression"

"Until one of you gets a boyfriend and he accidentally kisses the wrong girl" Katara joked.

Suki looked so stricken, it made Katara laugh. "Hadn't thought about that, had you? Good thing you have me to point it out" she mimicked her best friend's earlier statement.

"But there are small differences in the headpieces, so we're not exactly the same" Suki defended herself.

"Because guys really look at the individual headpieces" Katara nodded gravely.

"Ha, bloody ha. You are _so_ funny. But seriously, this afternoon, your place. It's time for some major house cleaning"

When Katara nodded, Suki got up. "Good. Now I have to get back to class. I don't think Mr. Pao will give me another lavatory pass any time soon"

"You're playing hooky?" Katara asked wide eyed. "Make sure principal Ozai doesn't find out. You'll be in trouble"

"See what I'm willing to risk for you?" Suki joked and walked out of the study lounge.

That afternoon the two girls congregated in Katara's bedroom. With mugs of steaming tea and a pack of chocolate chip cookies they sat on the array of pillows on the floor.

"So, first things first" Suki said after taking a sip of tea. "How did you find out Jet was cheating on you?"

Apart from the fact that Jet ad cheated on her ad them breaking up, Katara hadn't told Suki about the how and why. She took a deep breath and grabbed the pendant of her necklace, hoping it would give her courage to face up to past events.

"Well, Saturday, two weeks ago, I was working and Zuko came up to me, saying that he had a surprise for me. He gave me my necklace back and I accused him of stealing t and I kinda ran off"

"Why? Zuko doesn't strike me as someone who steals a necklace. On top of that, you're friends aren't you?" Suki interrupted.

She still felt ashamed of herself for accusing him, even though she and Zuko had made up. "I know, I know! I was having a very bad day, you know those days. Anyway, when I got home that evening and had thought it over, I realized that I was wrong. So I called him to apologize. The next day, I went over to his place to apologize in person. We straightened things out" she took a sip of tea and grabbed a chocolate chip cookie. Now came the hard part. Taking a bite, she enjoyed the chocolate flavour before continuing. "After we resolved things, I was going to leave, and when I walked past Azula's room I heard them"

Suki looked at her with a uncomprehending expression on her face. "You heard them? We're they talking really loud or something?"

Katara couldn't believe Suki was being so slow. "No, I _heard_ them" she put more emphasis on the word this time.

Suki's eyes widened as she caught on to the implication. "You _heard_ them? Ew! How disgusting! What did you do?"

"I stormed in to the room like a lunatic and confronted them. Then I punched Jet after I broke up with him" she grabbed another cookie.

"You punched him? Wait… Was that why he was walking around with a bruise on his jaw? You punched him that hard? You go girl! I'm proud of you! He totally deserved that"

Katara nodded and stared into the brownish liquid that was her tea. She didn't particularly feel proud of herself, she felt depressed. "It's just… He cheated on me. And I was stupid enough to ask why"

Suki reached out and held her hand. "There is nothing stupid about asking why"

"Then why does it hurt so much?" she was blinking to keep the tears from spilling over.

"Because the truth hurts some times. But you're always better off with the truth, than to sit around, torturing yourself and wondering if it as something _you_ did that made him cheat. A girl could kill herself over something like that" Suki consoled her.

"When is it not the girl's fault? If there was nothing wrong the guy would have never cheated on her in the first place"

"What did her say?" Suki sounded menacing. "Did he say it was your fault?"

"In a way. He said he had needs of his own I couldn't pacify. And it was clear that Azula could"

"He said that?!" Suki exclaimed indignantly. "The bastard! How dare he?"

"But he was right" Katara looked down at her hands. "Remember the day we got back from Ember Island? Jet picked me up from school, and I went with him to his house. Once we were there, he made it pretty clear he wanted to have sex with me. But I didn't want too. I mean, I'm sixteen, I find that a bit too young to have sex. And I'm just not ready for that yet. So I told him I didn't want too, and he backed off. Looking back on it, he seemed pretty bumped out I refused him. That's why he went to Azula, because she did want to have sex with him. So it _is_ my fault. If I'd had sex with him, he wouldn't have gone to her"

"Is that what you've been telling yourself?" Suki looked appalled. She took hold of Katara's shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. "Katara. Jet is a bastard. He cheated on you. That is not, I repeat _not_ your fault. He is a selfish asshole who only thinks about himself and disregards everything around him. He is a jackass, an asshole, a dick, a stinking slimy toad who doesn't deserve you. You are better off without him"

Katara laughed through her tears at her friend tirade.

But Suki wasn't done yet. "Now, repeat after me, and make sure you get it in that pretty head of yours. Jet is a dick" she looked pointedly to Katara.

Katara sighed. "Jet is a dick" she repeated.

"He is a stinking, slimy toad"

"He is a stinking… slimy… toad"

"He is beneath my notice and not worth me whatsoever" Suki dictated.

"He is beneath my notice and not worth me"

"And he is going to be so jealous when he sees my next super-handsome-rock-star-super-boyfriend"

Without thinking Katara repeated. "He is going to be so jealous when he sees my next… _What_?!"

"Say it!" Suki commanded when Katara stared at her.

"My next superhandsomerockstarsuperoyfriend" Katara muttered. "There were two supers in there"

"Exactly" Suki said smugly.

Katara rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but smile. Talking things over with Suki was like lifting a weight from her shoulders. And she felt a bit better about herself. But still some doubt lingered. Before she could open her mouth to air her concerns, Suki interrupted her with the cunning ability to read her mind.

"The fact that you don't want to have sex yet is not something to feel bad about, even if he brought it up as excuse for this inexcusable behaviour. I think it is a amenable decision to wait to have sex. Especially when you haven't found the right person to do it with"

"So you think I did the right thing to deny him?"

"Hell yes! I wouldn't want to have sex with some cretin who forces me to do it"

Again, Katara laughed, this time at the exaggerated outrage on Suki's face. "Thanks Suki, I needed that. You're the best"

"I know" Suki smiled. "But next time, please tell me sooner, so I can prevent you from talking yourself down" she now looked serious.

"I will" Katara assured her.

"Good. Now, for the next thing on the agenda. You are going to gather everything that reminds you of Jet in one pile. Then we are going to burn it all. So go around your entire room. Everything he ever gave you, every picture you took of him, every movie ticket from a movie you saw together, _everything_. Grab it and throw it down here" she made room between the pillows.

Katara got to her feet and looked around her bedroom. _Where to start_? She thought to herself. She spotted a picture of herself and Jet on the windowsill. She walked over to it. The frame around the photograph had been a birthday present from Suki, so she took the photo out of the frame. She set the frame back on the windowsill and crumpled the picture in her fist before throwing it in the direction of the pillows. Next were the movie tickets on her bulletin board. She slowly made her way around the room, picking up things that had anything to do with Jet. The pile of to-be-burned trinkets grew steadily.

In the end the pile consisted of a number of photographs, either with Jet, or her and Jet, a pair of earrings he had given her at their one-month anniversary, a couple of movie tickets, several postcards and a plush panda.

"Is this everything?" Suki asked as Katara dropped the last item on the pile.

"I think so… Oh!" she quickly grabbed her wallet and drew out a small picture of Jet. "This is the last one"

"Good. Let's go outside"

In the backyard stood a metal fire basket which was sometimes used in the summer, when it was nice to sit outside when the sun had set. They dropped everything in the basket. Suki ducked back inside to grab the matches. When she came back out, Kanna was with her.

"What are you girls doing?" Kanna inquired.

"We are ritually burning everything that has to do with Jet. It is a very important step in the process of moving on" Suki stated. She had also retrieved a bottle of flammable liquid and held it out for Katara to take. "You have to do it, to get closure"

Katara took the bottle from Suki and sprinkled it over everything in the basket. Suki handed her the matches and with one swift movement she had lit the match and held it above the basket. "Goodbye Jet. I'm over you now" she said as farewell. She let go of the match and within seconds everything that had once been a valuable treasure was alight. Within fifteen minutes all that remained was a pile of ashes.

Suki clapped her hands. "All right! We are done with Jet"

Katara smiled. "Yes we are" and to her surprise, it was the truth.

"So now we have arrived at the fun part of the afternoon. What are you going to wear to the Halloween dance?"

Katara looked down on her watch. It was already time to start making dinner. "I have to make dinner tonight. Mind if we talk while I work?"

Suki gasped and looked at her own watch. "Is it that late already? I have to be home in an hour. Which means we only have forty-five minutes. But I can help you make dinner if you want while we talk"

Forty minutes later, they sat at the kitchen table without having made any progress in the costume department. "I give up!" Suki threw her hands in the air in exasperation. "I don't have any more ideas"

Katara stared dejectedly at the oven window. The lasagne they had made was nearly finished. They had discussed the pros and cons of fairy costumes versus mythical monsters. Comic characters versus mummies, fair damsel versus badass butt kicker. And still they hadn't come up with a costume Katara wanted to wear this year.

"Oh crap!" Suki sat up straight.

Katara turned to her friend and saw she was looking at her watch. "What's wrong?"

Suki looked at her apologetically. "I have to go, or my mom won't shut up about it. I'm sorry I couldn't help you"

"Are you kidding me? You have helped enormously. Don't worry about the costume, I'll think of something"

They hugged each other goodbye and Katara showed Suki out. When she closed the front door, she yelled at Sokka that dinner was ready.

Five minutes later, Sokka walked into the kitchen, sniffing the air. "That smells delicious. I'm starving"

After serving themselves, Katara, Kanna and Sokka ate in silence for a while.

"Did you get some ideas for your costume?" Kanna inquired after a while.

Katara looked down on her plate and shook her head gloomily. "No. we've brainstormed, but nothing came up" she looked at Sokka. "Are you going to the Halloween dance?"

Sokka shrugged and replied even though his mouth was still full with half chewed food. "Dunno yet, why?"

"Suki and me were discussing what kind of costume I'm going to wear, I thought maybe you had an idea"

"Suki's going?" he sat up with interest. "Come to think of it, I have nothing to do on Friday" he said semi nonchalant. "Maybe I will drop by"

"What kind of costume are you going to wear?" Kanna asked.

"A super fighting ninja" he replied immediately. "Easy enough, just a black suit and a half face mask to cover my nose and mouth. And a big gun"

Katara rolled her eyes. "Aren't ninjas supposed to be stealthy? A gun is hardly appropriate"

Sokka seemed to think about that. "You're right. I'll just go for a sword instead. That ought to impress everyone"

Katara sighed deeply. Obviously Sokka was no help to her. If only she could think up a costume as easily as he had. _What am I going to wear?_ She thought with desperation.

Later that night, after the dishes were done, she headed up to her room and sat down at her desk. _Maybe some internet research will give me some ideas._ She thought and fired up her laptop. There was a small pop up on her screen as she opened her email. 'TheBlueSpirit21 has come online' it read. _Maybe he can come up with a good idea_. She clicked on the pop up and the chat screen came up.

**PaintedLady362:** Hi

**TheBlueSpirit21:** Hey, long time no see

**PaintedLady361:** I know, I'm sorry. Had some personal issues I had to take care of.

**TheBlueSpirit21:** Personal issues?

Did she dare tell him?

**TheBlueSpirit21:** You don't have to tell me if you don't want too. But I'm here for you if you do.

**PaintedLady361:** I found out my boyfriend was cheating on me… So I broke up with him.

**TheBlueSpirit21: **Bastard. Did you punch him?

_How does he know_? She wondered.

**PaintedLady361:** Yeah, I did. How did you know?

It took a while for him to reply.

**TheBlueSpirit21:** Oh, you did? I was just joking. But I guess he deserved it. Good for you.

**PaintedLady361:** _Good_ for me? He cheated on me!

**TheBlueSpirit21:** I didn't mean it like that. I meant it was good that you punched him. But how are you feeling?

**PaintedLady361:** I burned everything that reminded me of him this afternoon. So I getting over it.

**TheBlueSpirit21:** You burned everything? I thought girls only did that in the movies…

**PaintedLady361:** Oh, they do it in real life as well. How else are we supposed to get closure?

**TheBlueSpirit21:** Eat a bucket of ice cream? Watching sad movies in your sweats?

**PaintedLady361:** _Those_ are things they only do in the movies :P

**TheBlueSpirit21:** You girls are weird… And much more violent than I had imagined.

**PaintedLady361:** Yes, you should be very careful around us. You never know when the urge hits us to go on a raging rampage.

**TheBlueSpirit21:** I'll keep that in mind.

**PaintedLady361:** Doesn't your girlfriend ever behave like that?

Again it took several minutes before his reply came.

**TheBlueSpirit21:** I don't have a girlfriend.

**PaintedLady361:** What about the girl you liked? Haven't you told her yet? You know, you only torture yourself by not knowing. _If_ she turns you down, you can try to get over her. Even that has to be better than not knowing at all…

**TheBlueSpirit21:** No, I haven't told her yet. And I know, you're right. I'm working on it.

**PaintedLady361:** It's almost Halloween… Isn't there a dance at your school or something?

**TheBlueSpirit21:** Yes, this Friday, why?

**PaintedLady361:** The beauty of a dance is that the walls are down. Everyone is just enjoying themselves. You can use it to talk to her. Plus, Halloween means costumes. You can use that to hide your identity if she turns you down

**TheBlueSpirit21:** You've put a lot of thought into it, haven't you?

**PaintedLady361:** What else am I supposed to do with my time? It's not like I have a boyfriend to spend it with…

**TheBlueSpirit21:** Isn't there a dance at your school you need to prepare for?

**PaintedLady361:** Yes, there is. I just have no clue what kind of costume I'm going to wear. Got any ideas for me?

**TheBlueSpirit21:** Are you kidding? You're portraying as the Painted Lady online for some months now. Doesn't that give you an idea?

Katara sat back in her chair. _Why didn't I think of that?_ It seemed so obvious now. One of the things that had attracted her to the Painted Lady was her appearance. It would make an amazing costume.

**PaintedLady361:** YOU. ARE. BRILLIANT! Why didn't I think of that? Thank you, thank you, thank you!

**TheBlueSpirit21:** You're welcome.

**PaintedLady361:** And you should totally go as the Blue Spirit! How awesome would that be?!

**TheBlueSpirit21:** I'll think about it…

**PaintedLady361:** Why do you suddenly sound so curt?

**TheBlueSpirit21:** Just tired. I think I'm going to bed. Bye.

With that, he was gone. Katara stared at the screen nonplussed. _What was that about?_ She wondered. But she shrugged it off. At least she had an amazing idea for a costume.

A couple of miles away, Zuko sat at his desk as well, staring at the conversation he just had with Katara. _What have I DONE?!_ He thought with horror.

**A/N:** I must admit, I never went to such extremes as to burn everything that reminded me of my ex. But I thought it was a nice touch. As Always R&R to let me know what you think.


	19. Chapter 19 - Halloween

**A/N:** Ok, so it's really late for me right now, but I just had to finish this chapter and upload it. So enjoy!

When Katara came home Friday afternoon from school, there was a neatly wrapped parcel waiting for her on the bed. There was a small white card on top of it. On picking it up she read it. 'With compliments of the Order of the White Lotus'. She was none the wiser for it. Of course, she had heard of Gran-Gran's Pai Sho group, who called themselves the Order of the White Lotus. What she couldn't phantom was why they would give her something. Without enthusiasm, but with a bit of curiosity, she removed the wrapping paper. What did it matter what it was? It was a very small chance to lift her frustrated spirit.

She had been in a state of euphoria Wednesday night, all through to Thursday evening. The fact that she finally had an amazing idea for a costume had brightened her day. But after an afternoon of scurrying through shop after shop without finding anything that could in some way be reformed into said costume, she had come home empty handed and with a sinking feeling that she couldn't attend the Halloween dance after all. When Gran-Gran had asked her why she was staring dejectedly out of the window, she had told her grandmother of her misfortune. It was good to air her feelings to someone, but she hadn't expected Gran-Gran would do anything about it.

Now, she was looking down on the contents of the parcel and tears of gratefulness and love sprang to her eyes. On top lay a wide straw hat. Upon lifting it, she saw there was a delicate, translucent gauzy veil attached to it. Beneath the hat lay an arrow shaped shell, from which a number of ropes sprung. Under that there was a heavy velvet burgundy robe. Right now it looked more red, but Katara knew that with the right light, it could be easily mistaken for dark purple. Last in the parcel was a brighter red shoulder top and a pair of bracelets that were supposed to be worn around the upper arm.

She carefully set everything back and ran to the door and down the stairs.

"Gran-Gran!" she yelled on her way down. "Gran-Gran, where are you?"

With a concerned look on her face, Kanna emerged from the living room. "Katara? Is something the matt-" she was cut off as Katara barrelled into her and hugged her fiercely.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Kanna smiled and put her arms around her granddaughter. "I take it you found your costume? Do you like it?"

"I love it! You are the best! How did you do it?" she looked up into her grandmother's wrinkled face.

"I called the girls from my Pai Sho group last night. We convened here this morning. We are all quite handy with needle and thread. We did some research on the internet on what the Painted Lady looks like, and tried to recreate her dress for you. There are some differences though. The Painted Lady's dress was white, but we thought that the darker colours would suit you better. You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not! It's beautiful! I don't know what to say"

Kanna smiled. "You don't have to say anything. Apart from that you'll wear it to the party tonight. And have fun doing so"

Katara nodded ferociously. "Yes, I will. Of course I will!"

Kanna gave her granddaughter one last squeeze before letting go. "Good. Oh, and I would love to take a picture of you wearing it, so that I can show the girls that their work is appreciated"

"I'll come down when I'm dressed and done my make-up, so you can see the end result" she turned and headed back to her bedroom. Once she was there, she grabbed her cell phone from her bag and called Suki.

"Hello?" Suki sounded distracted as she answered the phone.

"Hi Suki. Great news! I've decided to go to the dance after all!"

"Katara? Oh great! So you found a costume to wear? As what are you going?"

"I'm still going as the Painted Lady"

"But I thought you couldn't find any clothes for the Painted Lady…"

"Yes, that's why I was so down today. But when I got home, I found that Gran-Gran and her friends had made me a costume. How awesome is that?" she exclaimed.

"Wow! I wish my grandmother would do something like that. So are you coming over here to get dressed?"

"I promised Gran-Gran she could take a picture of me all dressed up, so I'll dress over here. But you can come to my place to get dressed"

"I'm afraid that won't be possible. Unless you want the whole self defence group in your small bedroom?" Suki joked.

Katara laughed. "No, that's ok. I don't think everyone would fit… I guess I'll see you at school than?"

"You sure will. I'll be one of the girls who look the same"

"I'll be the one with the overlarge hat" Katara quipped.

"I'll see you there-" on the other side of the line was the sound of a ringing doorbell. "Oh, that'll be one of the girls. Bye!"

"Bye!" Katara greeted back and hung up.

Walking over to the bed where the costume lay, she checked her watch. What was wise? Should she put on her costume now? Or was it better to wait until after dinner? As if able to read her thoughts, Gran-Gran called, effectively making the choice for her.

"Sokka, Katara! Dinner is ready!"

When Katara walked out of her room, she saw Sokka coming out of his room as well. He was wearing black pyjama pants and a loose black t-shirt with a band logo on the back. The colour of his face was slightly gray.

"Are you ok?" Katara asked, taking in his appearance.

He looked over his shoulder at her. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"Because you look like you are sick. Plus, you're wearing a pyjama"

"This is _not_ a pyjama. This is my costume!" Sokka proclaimed indignantly.

"Are you going as the sandman? You could put in a little more effort if that's the case"

Sokka glared at her. "What of my costume makes you think I'm the sandman?" he growled.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Because you're wearing a _pyjama_. Who else would wear a pyjama?"

"This is my ninja outfit! Black and stealthy"

"I didn't know ninja's wore pyjamas…" Katara jibed.

"This is _not_ a pyjama!" Sokka yelled and stomped down the stairs.

Grinning from ear to ear, she followed him to the kitchen. It was too easy to bate her brother sometimes.

"Oh Sokka" Gran-Gran said, just as Katara walked in to the kitchen. "Aren't you feeling well?"

"No, I'm perfectly fine" Sokka grumbled.

"Then why are wearing your pyjama?"

Katara put her hand against her lips to stifle the sound of her laughter. She wasn't entirely successful and Sokka shot her a killer glance.

"For the last time. THIS. IS. NOT. A. PYJAMA! I am a ninja!"

"Well, either way, there is no need to shout young man" Kanna replied slightly offended.

"I can help you with your costume if you want. Make you look less like a sick person and more like a ninja" Katara offered in between fits of laughter.

"Seriously. What is wrong with what I'm wearing now?" Sokka asked bewildered.

"First of all, ninja's don't wear pyjamas" she ignored his second killer look. "And second, they don't wear Iron Maiden t-shirts. They wear shirts with upstanding collars and lapels. And they have half masks that cover the lower half of their faces. Not some weird gray face paint"

"Fine" Sokka grumbled. "But I better look like a super ninja when you're done"

"don't worry. When I'm through with you, no one will ever think you looked like a sick person" she already had some ideas.

Half an hour after dinner, Katara looked over her brother's shoulder into the mirror. "Now, _that_ is a ninja" she said with a sense of accomplishment. It had taken all her personal resources to transform Sokka from the sick patient that he thought was a ninja, to a proper ninja as the most part of the world viewed them. He was wearing black pants, instead of his pyjama pants. With a shirt that folded over itself over his chest. If she was completely honest with herself, she had to admit that she had seen better ninjas, but she had done the best she could. And best of all, Sokka was happy with the ed result.

"Thanks sis. I have to admit, this looks way better" he admired himself in the mirror, turning this way and that.

"You're welcome. Now, if you'll excuse me, I still have to get dressed myself"

"So you found a costume? Who are you going to be?"

"The Painted Lady. Gran-Gran and her friends made it"

"The what? Painted Lady? Why does that sound so familiar?" Sokka wondered out loud.

"Probably because it was mom's favourite story" she turned to walk to her own room.

"Oh… Hey!" she turned back as he hailed her.

"What?" she asked slightly annoyed.

"Do you know how Suki will dress up?"

"As a Kyoshi Warrior. Why?"

Sokka shrugged. "Just curious. At least now I'll be able to pick her out of the crowd"

"You know what a Kyoshi Warrior looks like?" she wasn't able to hide her astonishment.

"Sure I do. Suki described them on Ember Island"

Katara snorted. "If you say so" while she knew Suki had described the warriors, she hadn't done so in much detail. "Just be careful. There will be a bunch of them at the dance"

"What? How many?"

She shrugged and headed to her own room. "I don't know. We'll see once were there, won't we?" with that, she closed her bedroom door behind her. She checked her watch. She had enough time to take a quick shower and do some grooming before getting dressed. She grabbed her bathrobe and dashed into the bathroom. Gazing at herself in the mirror she wondered what she was going to do with her hair. Should she wash it? Or make sure it stayed dry so she could use the curling iron later on? She decided on the latter option and gathered her hair in a top knot before putting on a shower cap. She turned on the hot water and got under it. She took a couple of minutes to enjoy the soothing warmth.

Taking the sweet scented body wash from the shelf, she lathered her hands and massaged it into her skin. After the body wash, she used her face scrub. When she felt completely clean, she got out of the shower and quickly dried herself. She enfolded herself in her bathrobe once she was dry and walked to her room.

She put on skin coloured tights and the red shoulder top. Next was the burgundy robe, which had a very wide skirt but strangely still managed to hug her feminine curves to perfection. She had some difficulty putting it on, with deciding which extremity was supposed to go in which hole. But eventually she managed and both her arms were in the wide sleeves, while the hood of the robe went over her head. The shell with the ropes was even harder to put on and she had to actually look up a picture of the Painted Lady to figure out how it was worn. She succeeded in getting it on right and admired herself in the mirror. Her shoulders were bare and there was a split in the robe that reached to her knee she hadn't noticed before. After putting on the bracelets, she brushed out her still suspended hair. It was naturally wavy, and most of it would be invisible beneath the hood of her robe. But she wanted some of it to be visible. She parted two locks behind her ears from the rest of her hair. She let them hang along her neck and onto her chest. Like the rest of her hair, they were wavy, but not entirely to her taste. She decided it would be better if they were actually curling. So she took her curling iron and carefully wound the locks around it one at the time. She made sure the curls stayed as they were by spraying some hairspray on them. Lastly, she put on her make-up, which was harder than she had anticipated. Especially the stripes on her shoulders were hard to draw. But she managed and she was checking if her lipstick was on ok when she heard Sokka call from downstairs.

"Katara! I'm leaving in ten minutes! You'd better be ready, or I'll leave without you!"

"I'm almost done!" she called back.

Taking a final look at herself in the mirror, she put her hood up and over that the veiled hat. She had to admit, even to herself, that if she hadn't known what her costume would be, she wouldn't have been able to recognize herself. _Perfect_. She thought smugly. What else was a costume good for if not anonymity?

While the Painted Lady wasn't known to wear any shoes, she didn't think it was a wise idea to go barefoot to a high school dance. So she hunted in her closet until she found her flat, strappy sandals. After putting them on, she skipped down the stairs and into the living room.

Both Sokka and Gran-Gran were there. Her brother was posing while Gran-Gran held a camera in hand and was taking pictures.

"I'm ready" Katara declared as she walked in.

"Sweetie, you look gorgeous! Come here and let me take a picture" Kanna admired.

After Kanna had taken several photos, Sokka began to move restlessly.

"Come on, let's go. I don't want to be too late" he almost whined.

"The dance started fifteen minutes ago. You won't be too late" Katara rolled her eyes. Didn't her brother know that it was so not cool if you turned up too early on a party? But she gave in to his whining and followed him to his car. She had to take of her hat before she could get in the car, and she foresaw certain trouble for later on.

When they arrived at school, the parking lot was only half full, proving Katara's earlier thoughts about arriving too early. It was only nine thirty after all. But then again, the dance would only last until midnight, so it wouldn't be too long before the parking lot began to fill up.

Together with Sokka she headed inside and to the gymnasium where the dance was held. They were greeted by a multitude of flashing lights and an array of Halloween decorations. Fake spider webs with toy spiders were scattered around the gymnasium. Several vampire puppets and scarecrows were suspended from the ceiling. And on every available surface were grinning pumpkins with lights shining from their eyes. At the door even stood a life-size statue of Frankenstein's monster.

"Welcome to the Gymnasium of Doom" the monster said in a low voice, making Sokka jump and Katara stifle a scream. "Do visit the Haunted Teacher's Lounge were the teachers have to teach the students foreeevvvverrr…" he drew out the last word with a strange German accent. Having said what he had to, the monster returned to his original position and leaned back against the door jamb.

"Mr. Bumi?" Katara asked cautiously, but the monster didn't react. Either it wasn't Mr. Bumi, or he took his assignment of Frankenstein's monster very serious.

After exchanging a quick look with Sokka, who was still recovering from his shock, she walked through the door into the gymnasium. Looking around, she wondered if Suki was already present. But she didn't see her best friend, instead she saw only freshmen on the dance floor. She could tell they were freshmen because most of them were shorter than her. Plus their costumes weren't as elaborate as a senior's costume would be. On top of all that, most older students wouldn't be here yet.

"No one's here yet" Sokka said dejectedly. "Where is everyone?"

"I told you we wouldn't be too late. As you can see, we're way too early" but even as she spoke, she saw some of her own classmates walk into the gymnasium. Leaving her brother to his own devices, she went to her classmates and greeted them.

By the time the clock showed it was ten fifteen, the entire gymnasium was full of heaving and dancing students. Katara finally managed to locate Suki and her band of Kyoshi Warriors in the crowd.

"Hey!" Katara shouted over the music at her friend.

Suki stared at her for some minutes before a look of recognition came on her face. "Katara! Oh my god! I didn't recognize you! What an amazing costume!"

"I could say the same thing! If it wasn't for the fact that I know there would be more dressed up just like you, I wouldn't have been able to find you" Katara grinned. "Nice head piece" she gestured to the head band. "Have some guys made mistakes yet?"

Suki laughed. "No, none of us have been kissed yet. But the night is still young, and I think someone spiked the punch, so it could still happen"

"Someone spiked the punch?"

"Yes. Haven't you tasted it? It's heavy stuff if you ask me"

Katara had tasted the punch. In fact, she already had five glasses of it, but she hadn't notices any alcohol in it. She mentally checked her faculties. True, she did feel slightly dizzy and a sense of joy she hadn't felt the past fortnight was present as well. She wasn't drunk yet, but it was probably better if she didn't drink any more punch.

"Look at that kid" Suki pointed at a freshman on the dance floor. "I think he had a bit too much punch"

He was clearly inebriated as he danced on his own, but his movements indicated he thought he was dancing with some imaginary person.

"That's Aang" Katara identified him.

"That's _Aang_? Man he looks weird. Did he shave his head?"

"I guess he did" Katara answered her friend as she looked at Aang's bald head. He had painted a light blue arrow on his head, but thanks to the warmth that prevailed in the gymnasium, he had sweated most of it away. She was glad her own make-up was water proof, otherwise she would look as weird as Aang did. Nt that he seemed to mind, he was too intoxicated to care.

Suddenly, Sokka was standing next to them as they looked at the dance floor. "Well, hellooo ladies" he greeted them.

"Sokka! Hi!" Suki blushed heavily. It was even visible under her white face paint.

Discretely, Katara sniffed the air around her brother. But there was no trace of too much punch on his breath. _Good_. But he still acted like a lunatic.

"My beautiful Kyoshi Warrior, would you be so good as to allow me to escort you to the dance floor for some movement exercises?" he asked politely.

"Er… What?" Suki looked confused.

Katara rolled her eyes and decided to help them out. "This brave ninja just asked you to dance"

"Oh" Suki's face cleared. "Sure! See you later Katara" together with Sokka she vanished in the crowd.

Katara sighed enviously. She wanted to dance herself, but if she did that on her own, she would probably look as stupid as Aang. And she couldn't join Suki and Sokka, they clearly wanted to dance alone.

Out of nowhere, a cool gloved hand came to rest on her shoulder. Startled she turned around to see who was touching her. She felt her jaw drop as she looked at the person now standing in front of her.

He was dressed completely in black, both his shirt and his pants slightly loose, with a wide waistband holding them together. A leather strap spanned his chest from his left shoulder to the ride side of his waist. She could see a sword handle protruding over his left shoulder. If it wasn't for the blue and white mask, she would have assumed he was a ninja. But the grinning mask defined him for what her really was. The Blue Spirit.

Zuko saw her and a girl dressed up in green the moment he walked into the gymnasium. He had pictured what she would look like dressed up as the Painted Lady. The reality was so much better than his imagination, it took his breath away. He looked around and saw he wasn't the only one admiring her.

"Who is that?" he heard one guy ask his friend. "She looks cute"

"Dunno… But I'd like to get to know her" his friend responded.

Zuko nearly saw red. Katara looked more than just _cute_. She looked beautiful. And those two actually thought they had a chance with her? They hadn't even bothered to dress up for Halloween. But overhearing their conversation brought home that he had to act swiftly if he wanted to talk to her. Otherwise some other guy would sweep her away. _So how do I get her alone_? He wondered.

He had rejected a couple of options when he spotted Sokka in the crowd. He was standing by the wall, looking in the direction of his sister. _Why would he keep suck a close eye on her? Katara can look after herself_. He thought. Then he realized who the girl in green talking to Katara must be. Another idea popped in his head and casually he sauntered over to Sokka.

"Hey Sokka" he greeted his crush's brother.

Sokka looked him up and down with a slight frown on his face. "Do I know you?"

Behind his mask, Zuko looked heavenward. On the other hand, he was also glad Sokka didn't recognize him. It made the chance that Katara could identify him smaller. "It's me, Zuko"

"Zuko? Didn't know it was you. What are you supposed to be?"

"I'm the Blue Spirit. And what are you, a patient released from his sickbed for the night?" he was taken aback by Sokka explosive reaction.

"I AM A NINJA! Don't you see my mask?" he indicated the bit of fabric that was gathered around his throat. Clearly it was supposed to cover the lower half of his face.

Zuko held up his hands to placate Sokka. "My apologies. I didn't mean to insult you" but he had seen better ninjas. "So why are you standing here on your own? I thought you'd be on the dance floor with Suki"

Sokka looked up, a hopeful expression clear on his face. "You think she'd dance with me?"

"Sure, why not?" Zuko shrugged.

"But how do I ask her? What if she says no? What will I do then?"

Zuko looked at the other guy. Was he being serious? He acted like he had never asked a girl to dance before. "Just be courteous"

"Be what?" Sokka looked dumbfounded.

Zuko rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Polite. Be polite. And try to act grown up. Don't go whining like a small child"

Sokka nodded. "Ok. I can do that" but he didn't move away from his spot at the wall.

"Just go!" Zuko said exasperated and pushed Sokka in the direction of Suki and Katara. He followed him at a short distance.

He snorted as he heard Sokka ask Suki to dance. Was that what Sokka thought was acting grown up? It barely made any sense. The guy was lucky his sister was used to his strange choice of words, and was able to translate it to her best friend. When Sokka and Suki disappeared in the crowd, he took a deep breath and walked forward until he stood directly behind Katara. He noticed his hand wasn't quite steady as he reached out to touch her shoulder. Admittedly, he was more nervous than he could remember ever being.

He saw her turn around and almost immediately her jaw dropped to the floor. Apprehension mixed with uncertainty stabbed through him. Had she recognized him? Or was it just that she recognized the Blue Spirit? What was she going to do now? Everything could happen, the ball was at her court.

"Hi" she nearly whispered.

"Hey" the uncertainty only grew.

"You're the Blue Spirit"

"I am. And you're the Painted Lady" did she mean with her statement that he, Zuko, was the Blue Spirit?

"I had no idea we went to the same school" she smiled.

She didn't recognize _him_ than. He let out the breath he had been holding, mightily relieved. "Neither did I" he lied. "Nice to finally meet you in person"

Her smile grew. "Likewise"

He stared at her, mesmerized by her smile. He had no idea what he was supposed to do now. His musings hadn't brought him much farther than this moment. Clearly, Katara had no idea either. She looked away awkwardly, at the dancing students in front of them.

_Do something you nitwit!_ His inner voice spoke up. _Ask her to dance! You know you want to_. This was partly true. The thought of dancing with Katara filled him with both elation and dread. _Ok._ His inner voice snarled. _It's sink or swim time. Ask her_!

"Do you want to dance?" he blurted out before he lost his courage.

She turned back to him and smiled a heart breaking smile. "I'd love to"

He led her to a none too crowded spot on the dance floor. The moment he started dancing, the music changed to a slow love song. He looked down at Katara. Would she want to slow dance with him? Because he sure as hell wanted to slow dance with her. The chance to feel her move close against him was more than he could have hoped for.

She looked up at him with uncertainty in her eyes. "I can't gather much from your mask. But do you want to slow dance?" she held out her arms invitingly. All he had to do was take one step forward and put his arms around her waist.

"I'd love to" he answered in a husky voice. And took that one crucial step.

He felt her arms settle around his neck as he drew her close against him. He bent his head a little so he could keep looking in her eyes. He felt like he had died and gone to heaven.

Katara felt her dizziness intensify as she slowly danced with him. She had no idea who he really was, just like he didn't know who she was, but she still felt a certain sense of belonging with his arms wrapped around her. She looked up into the hard, grinning mask that gave nothing away. She focused on the eyeholes, hoping to catch a glimpse of the eyes beyond. But all she saw was an occasional glimmer that proved there were actual eyes behind the mask. _Shouldn't that bother me_? She wondered. That all she could she were glimpses of his eyes? Strangely, it didn't. This was the Blue Spirit, she had been emailing and talking to him for months. She knew him.

They were both so engrossed with the other that neither of them noticed that the song had ended and was followed by a much rougher song. They stayed in each other's arms, lost in each other's eyes. It wasn't until someone bumped into them and forced them even closer that they became aware of their environment.

The feeling of his body against her own was like a spark. A spark to dry tinder. She wanted to stay this close to him. She wanted him to be closer to her. She wanted to kiss him. But on the middle of the dance floor, in sight of everyone she knew was hardly a good place, or proper time.

She smiled invitingly at him and drew him of the dance floor. But even the side of the gymnasium were a bit to public for her taste. Luckily, he seemed to be thinking along the same lines she was. He took hold of her hand and towed her along behind him. It wasn't long before a door loomed up before them. She saw him glance to both sides to make sure no one was paying attention to them. Then he opened the door, ushered her through and closed the door behind them.

The cool night air hit her face. It was pleasantly refreshing after the stifling heat inside the building and it served to clear her head. _Are you sure you want to do this_? Her subconscious asked. _You are standing outside, alone with some guy you have never met before_. Yes, she was sure. She still felt the desire to hold him close and kiss him thrumming in her blood.

_What are you doing_? His inner voice tapped him on the shoulder. _What is your plan now that you have her alone_? He had no idea why he had done what he did. He was only aware of a deep seated _need_. Need for her. On the dance floor, when they had been pressed against each other, he had wanted to kiss her right then, damn all the consequences. And when she had smiled at him like that and had drawn him with her off the dance floor, he knew she wanted the same thing. He had taken her through the nearest door, in search for a semblance of privacy. Now, he thanked his lucky stars that they were outside, where there was close to no illumination. All this played in the back of his head as he slowly advanced on her, pushing her against the hard brick wall.

With an impatient sound, Katara reached up and drew the mask away. Before he could even think of covering his face, she drew his head down and pressed her lips against his. And he was lost. In the taste of her mouth, the feel of her body pressed against his, the play of her tongue with his as he explored her mouth. Without thought, he let his hands roam over her body. From where he held her face, down the sides of her neck and to her shoulders. He lightly traced down her arms and to her small waist. Lower still, over her hips and to her behind.

She was making small, gasping noises of pleasure as his hands caressed her, driving him to move his hands. This time, his hands went up over her lower back, just above her dress, and to the front. Until they lay beneath her breasts. He stopped there, not sure if she wanted him to touch her there. When she made a noise of impatience for him to keep moving, he groaned.

His lips left hers and traced along her jaw. He moved his lips down her throat as his hands came up to tenderly cup her breasts.

Her scent was so intoxicating he felt drunk. "Oh Katara" he breathed against the hollow where her neck met her shoulder. He was barely conscious of what he was saying, to intend on his hands on her.

Suddenly, she froze in his arms. "What did you just say?"

**A/N: **Aw man... Why did I stop here? Why didn't I just go a little bit further? At times I can really hate myself... But I'm nearly dropping out of my chair from lack of sleep, so I'm afraid everyone has to just deal with it. As Always R&R to let me know what you think!


	20. Chapter 20 - Trouble

**A/N:** I don't have much to say, only that I hope you have fun reading chapter 20.

All Katara could do was feel. Feel how his hands caressed her, feel the enticing pressure of his lips on hers. He softly kneaded her behind, causing sparks of pleasure course through her veins and settle low in her belly. She gasped into the kiss. What he was doing to her was… It was… She couldn't bring her feelings into words, she simply didn't have the right amount of brain capacity left to do so. His hands moved again, higher and to the front. They paused under her breasts, asking for permission. _YES!_ Her mind screamed. _Touch me! I want you to touch me there!_ Her mind screamed wantonly.

He either heard her screaming mind, or he had sensed her willingness for him to continue, because he uttered a low guttural sound and started kissing down her neck. She had never known her neck was so sensitive and like the wild abandon she was, she weaved her fingers through his hair. She bit her lip to hold back the scream of pleasure as his hands finally cupped her breasts. With her hands still entangled in his hair, she pulled him closer against her. She wanted to feel his body against hers, along the entire length. He mumbled something against her neck. Something that sounded suspiciously like her own name. But he didn't know her, did he? He wasn't supposed to know her, so why had he just uttered her name? A terrible realization that he _did_ know her came upon her, it's effect like a bucket of freezing water being emptied over her head.

"What did you just say?" she whispered. She didn't have the strength for much more.

He stiffened against her, his head still bent against her throat. He didn't say anything.

Katara used the grip she had on his hair to pull his head back. "Did you just say my name?" she had to know if she had heard him aright.

"Yes" he said so soft that she had to concentrate to catch his words. Which was harder than normal since he had effectively scattered her wits.

She squinted up at him, but couldn't see his face clearly. _Damn this darkness!_ "You know me? You knew it was me? How do you know? Who are you?" she clamped her lips together to stop the flow of questions.

When he didn't answer her, only stared down at her through the darkness, she pushed hard against his shoulders, pushing him away from her. "Who are you?" she repeated.

"What? You don't recognize me?" he sounded bitter. "That hurts"

So she _did_ know him. "How am I supposed to know you? It's too dark out here to see you clearly. And inside you were wearing a mask" she bit out.

He laughed, but there was absolutely no trace of humour in it. "You know, even if I hadn't known you'd dress up like the Painted Lady, I would have recognized you. Maybe not before we kissed, but definitely afterwards"

She was side tracked by his last statement. "How would you know it was me after one kiss?" she asked sceptically.

"Because we'd already kissed!" he nearly shouted.

There were only two guys she'd ever kissed, who also fitted the physique of the Blue Spirit. Ad she sure as hell knew that this was not Jet. Which left only one option for who the guy standing in front of her might be.

"Zuko?" she whispered, unable to believe it.

He threw up his hands. "Thank the Universe, she remembers me" he growled.

"You said you recognized me even before we kissed. How?"

"Because I gave you the idea to dress up like the Painted Lady, didn't I?"

"You didn't give that idea to _me_. You gave it to the Painted Lady"

"I recognized you when I saw you in the gymnasium" he replied softly.

His tone only incensed her further. "Bullshit. There was no way in hell you could have recognized me!"

"What makes you so sure I wouldn't recognize you?"

"Because even my _best friend_ in the entire world didn't recognize me until I told her it was me. And she knew what I would wear tonight. So you couldn't have recognized me. But still you knew it was me. Which means you must have known who I was before the dance" a terrible realization came upon her as she said it. "How long?"

"How long what?" this time, he sounded unsure.

"How long have you known _I_ Was the Painted Lady?" she pushed the words through her gritted teeth.

He didn't answer for quite some time. She didn't know what he was planning to do, or what he was doing, he was just a dense shadow in front of her. But she could feel his eyes, roaming over her face, as if the right answer was written there. If there was a right answer, that was. She wasn't sure there was.

"A while…" finally came his answer.

That answer didn't suffice. "That's not an answer. How long Zuko? Days, weeks, months? Ever since we started emailing? How long?" her voice steadily rose until she was shouting the last words at him.

"About three weeks. When you told me as the Painted Lady that you had lost you necklace"

"And of course am I the only girl on earth who can lose a necklace" she said sarcastically. "_I_ never told you I lost it"

"If you care to remember that particular conversation" the anger had slid back into his voice. "You had told me you had kissed, and I quote, 'a really cute guy'. You said you felt bad about it because he wasn't your boyfriend, so you'd ran away. Now if you would also thing of your reaction when I'd first kissed you, you can maybe see why I jumped to the conclusion that you were the Painted Lady. Besides, when Azula had stolen your necklace, you were so miserable, I could see it from the other side of the cafeteria. So later on, I'd asked Jet what was wrong and he told me about your necklace" he was breathing hard by the time he was finished.

She felt her cheeks heat in humiliation, but right now, her anger was just as fierce as his. "And it never occurred to you to tell me? That you had found out who the Painted Lady was?"

He snorted. "Yeah right, what a conversation that would have been. 'Hey Katara, I know you're busy and all, with being miserable and feeling guilty, but there is just one thing I would like to tell you. You know that guy you're emailing with, the Blue Spirit? Well surprise, surprise, it's me! I now know all your deep, dark, and very personal secrets. And by the way, I know you think I'm cute, and as I think you're cute too, you'd better dump Jet so that we can be together'. I don't think that would have gone down well"

"Of course not! Not if you had told me like that! But if you'd told me differently, with more tact…"

"Are you saying that if I had told you, with more tact, you wouldn't have been made at me?" he sounded incredulous.

"Of course I would have been mad-"

"See?" he interrupted her. "That's why I didn't tell you. I didn't want you to be angry with me. Not after how you behaved towards me after that first kiss"

"So you didn't tell me, and let me believe you didn't know me. You remained silent while I told you personal things about myself, knowing it was me. You know Zuko, I _would_ have been mad at you if you had told me directly, but it would have been _nothing_ compared with the rage I now feel towards you" she said bitterly.

"Why? Nothing has changed since I found out. So why are you more angry now?"

"Because you _lied_ to me!" she yelled. "Finding out I was the Painted Lady wasn't something you could have helped. I was the one who gave you all the clues. But you didn't tell me, you made me believe you were someone you're definitely not. As both the Blue Spirit _and_ yourself. You have no honour Zuko, do you have any idea how betrayed I now feel? You even lied to me this very evening when you implied you'd never met me!"

"Katara…" he sounded hurt. _Good_. At least she wasn't the only one. "I'm sorry. I just didn't know how to tell you. I didn't want you to be mad at me"

"Yeah, that worked out well for you, didn't it?" she scoffed.

"I said I was sorry, and I am, most sincerely. But there isn't a lot more I can do now. So please, accept my apologies" he said impatiently.

"What? You think I would forgive you, just like that?" she snapped her fingers to emphasize her point. "After lying to me for so long? I don't think I can trust you anymore. Was everything you ever said to me a lie? I bet you even told Azula were she could find my necklace. You intended for her to steal it, so that you could be the hero by giving it back to me" she was being unreasonable, she knew it. It wasn't fair to bring up the whole necklace issue again. But she was beyond caring. She was too enraged to care.

"What are you implying?" she could hear his teeth grind together.

She put up her nose. "You might have stolen my necklace yours-"

"_I_ didn't steal it, if that's what you wondering!"

"How can I trust you? And by the way, I won't accept your apologies"

"Well, what do you want me to do? What would you have done if you were me?" he said agitated.

"Go jump in the river!" she snarled. "I don't _ever_ want to see you again, you lying, honourless ass" she moved away from the wall, with the intention of getting away from him. She had taken all of two steps before both his hands shot out, grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her back against the wall.

"Katara, be reasonable. You can't just st-"

"Oh, yes I can, watch me!" she interrupted him. She didn't know what he had been going to say and she didn't care. All she cared about was getting away from him. But he was still holding on to her shoulders, preventing her from escaping as she wished. "Zuko, let go of me!" she demanded.

"No. Not before I had my say. Katara, I-" he didn't get any further than that.

Without either of them expecting it, the lamp that hung above the door they had come through earlier, switched on, making both of them blink in the sudden illumination. What they expected even less, was the lazy voice addressing them.

"Well, well. What do we have here?"

Zuko blinked to clear his vision. After all this time in the dark, it took him a while to see the person who had spoken clearly. Vice principal Zhao. His gut clenched uncomfortably. Ever since the first day of high school, Zhao had hated him. He still didn't know why exactly, but he always tried to steer clear of the vice principal. Even now, as he saw the glint in Zhao's eyes, he knew he was in trouble. Involuntarily, his hands tightened around Katara's shoulders, making her wince.

"You might think you're a big man, by forcing yourself upon unsuspecting girls, Zuko. And think you might get away with it because you daddy owns this school. But I'm here to tell you that you're wrong. Now do as the girl said and let her go" Zhao never glanced at Katara, he had only eyes for Zuko as he spoke.

Zuko let go of Katara and let his hands fall to his sides. When Katara didn't immediately stepped away from him, the vice principal looked down at her with a cold look.

"Young lady, I strongly suggest that you remove yourself from this situation. Normally students are not allowed to leave the gymnasium during a dance. But since it is he clear he" he nodded to Zuko. "Inveigled you to leave the gymnasium with him, I'll let you off the hook with a warning. Go back inside and be sure to think twice before you decide to just go along with some man"

Katara made a sound in the back of her throat, and bent to pick up her hat from where it had fallen on the ground during their make out session. She gave Zuko a sideways glance as she walked to the gymnasium door. Zhao held it open for her and loud music and flashing lights spilled out.

Either Zhao had walked around the entire building to get to them, or they had been too involved in their discussion to notice Zhao opening that door. Zuko thought the former much more likely, but that left him wondering why Zhao would go to such lengths, just to surprise a couple of teenagers.

"Well Zuko, who do you think you are?" Zhao asked coldly after he had closed the door behind Katara.

Not knowing what the vice principal meant, Zuko gave him a questioning look. "Sir?"

"To my office. Right now!" he gestured for Zuko to start walking, and he felt into step behind him.

While he walked, Zuko wondered what was going to happen next. What did vice principal Zhao want of him? Punish him? But for what? He and Katara had been having a discussion, you couldn't punish someone for having a discussion. And Zhao had let Katara go back to the dance, which meant _she_ wouldn't be punished. Meaning, only _he_, Zuko would get punished for something. But why? He hadn't done anything wrong. His thoughts kept going in circles, without getting any closer to Zhao's motives.

When they finally reached the vice principal's tiny office, Zuko sank down in one of the chairs facing the desk. Zhao sat down in the chair behind the desk, folded his hands on the table top and stared at Zuko.

"What do you have to say for yourself Zuko?" Zhao asked after an uncomfortable silence.

"About what?" Zuko asked baffled.

"I think you know what"

"I wasn't aware I did anything wrong, sir"

"You accosted a girl outside the gymnasium. You think there is nothing wrong with that?"

"We were having a discussion. That's all"

"In a discussion, you use the force of words.. What you did was use physical force. So don't be too surprised when I tell you that I don't believe you"

"I…" Zuko didn't know what to say to that. "I didn't accost her! We were talking"

"Oh, so now you were talking. I thought you said you were having a discussion?"

"We were!"

"Are you trying to downplay what happened? To make it seem less severe than it actually was? I still think, as you just proved, that it was even more than just a discussion"

"How did I prove that?" Zuko asked sceptically.

Zhao gave him a condescending look. "I don't appreciate your tone"

"My apologies" Zuko replied with gritted teeth.

Zhao nodded as acceptance. "As for proving me right, you just tried to make me believe it was less severe than it was, meaning it was even more severe"

Zuko looked blankly at Zhao. _He is crazy_. He thought to himself.

Zhao took his silence as conformation. His lips shaped into a humourless, _evil_, little smile. "So you agree with me that you deserve detention. Let's start with two weeks. If you don't improve your behaviour in that time, we'll extend it. Of course, you are no longer welcome at the dance anymore. Go home. I'll see you Monday after school" he was writing out the detention slip as he spoke. When he was finished he look at Zuko again. "Get out of my sight" he said impatiently.

Dazed, Zuko got up. _What just happened?_ He wondered. His inner voice was silent, he had now answer to that either. Slowly, Zuko walked out of the vice principal's office and left the school.

Katara was assaulted by a wave of loud music the moment she stepped back in the gymnasium. She had to stop walking and reorient herself. _What just happened_? One moment she was kissing the Blue Spirit, the next he turned out to be a lying scumbag. Then, while they were fighting, they were interrupted by vice principal Zhao. She had known it was forbidden to go outside the gymnasium, but somehow, Zhao had let her go with only a warning. But he had held on to Zuko for some reason. _Why_? It wasn't like Zuko had done anything she hadn't done as well.

What had Zhao claimed? That Zuko had lured her outside? She snorted. No one could lure her anywhere, unless she wanted to go. Mentally she took stock. She was now inside, Zuko was out there. She was still furious with him and that wasn't likely to change any time soon. Where was Suki? She really needed her friend right now to talk to her.

Looking at the wall of dancing students in front of her, she heaved a deep sigh. It wouldn't be easy to find Suki I the crowd. But, knowing her friend, she would most likely be with Sokka, and knowing Sokka, he would be somewhere near the refreshments table. Which was at the other side of the dance floor. She could either go straight, over the dance floor, or along the side, which would e the long way around. She decided to go over the dance floor.

She wasn't even half way to her destination and she already regretted her decision. She was pushed away, from side to side, by the other students, who all wanted more dancing space. More than once, people stepped on the hem of her robe, halting her progress. Eventually she had enough and bunched up the skirt of her robe to her knees and held on to it with both hands. Now that her skirt was safe, she encountered a different problem. Because she was holding on to her skirt, she had no hands free to keep her hat on her head. The DJ choose that precise moment to play 'Thriller', causing every dancer to wave their hand in the air according to the famous dance. Her hat was knocked off her head, and in an attempt to grab it before it hit the ground, she reached for it. In order to do so, she let go of her skirt, and immediately, someone stepped on it, nearly ripping it. She cursed beneath her breath, wishing horrible thinks on the culprit and his family.

After what seemed an eternity, she managed to wrestle through and she emerged from the crowd near the refreshments table. On impulse, she glanced back to the door she had come through, but it was still closed, no sign of Zuko or the vice principal. She turned away from the door and searched for Suki again. This time, it only took seconds to find her best friend and her brother. They were wrapped around each other like hair in a braid. There was no telling where one ended and the other began. A group of freshmen stood nearby and were casting furtive glances their way. One girl with stiff upstanding plaits starred goggle eyed, with a look of longing on her face.

_Better change your hairdo before expecting any guy to kiss you like that_. Katara thought venomously. She had about had it with everything. With Zuko, the dancing students, and now the Universe expected her to cope with her brother and her best friend making out like they were the only people in the room. She could hardly draw them apart with the excuse of her own problems. They wouldn't thank her for that. But she felt like she was due _something_ after crossing the dance floor of hell to get here. She went to stand next to them and cleared her throat. There was absolutely no response.

"Vice principal Zhao is on the war path!" she warned in a loud voice. It wasn't even a complete lie. And it did the trick, Sokka and Suki broke apart instantly.

"What? Again?" Suki panted. "He was here like, ten minutes ago"

"Someone must have told him the punch was spikes. He threw it all away" Sokka grumbled.

"And then he continued giving everyone who was even slightly drunk detention"

"Didn't he just sent them home? Seems more fitting" Katara wondered. For some reason she kept looking at the side door, but Zuko hadn't come back in yet. Why was she so interested anyway?

"But I don't see him right now" Sokka said.

"Who?" Katara's mind had been on Zuko and thought Sokka had meant him. But Sokka didn't know what Zuko looked like tonight, so how could he tell whether he saw him or not?

"Duh! Zhao of course" Sokka looked at her. "Are you sure you saw him?"

"Yeah, he was there" she lied and gestured in the general direction of the dance floor. "But I can't spot him now"

Sokka and Suki exchanged a glance, before looking slightly embarrassed at Katara.

"So…" Suki said. "Are you enjoying the dance?"

Katara shrugged, indicating that it was alright. She wanted to tell Suki what had happened, but not while her brother was listening. He probably wouldn't react very good when he'd find out she had been kissing a stranger. Or someone she thought was a stranger.

Clearly, Sokka was more adept at reading her mood than she had ever given him credit for. "Well, I'll leave you two to chat. By the way, have you seen Zuko?" he asked his sister.

"Zuko?" Katara asked alarmed. "You know what he's dressed up as?"

"Yeah, black outfit, sword strapped to his back, weird blue mask… Have you seen him?"

"How did you know it was him?" was she really so dim-witted that she couldn't recognize someone her brother could?

"He told me. If he hadn't, I wouldn't have known. Pretty good costume" Sokka commented.

Before Katara could give vent to her fury, Zuko had told Sokka who he was, and had deliberately not told her. He had lied _again_! The normal lights in the gymnasium turned on. Then, the music came to a sudden stop, causing the students on the dance floor to yell their protests. Everyone looked at the DJ stage, which was occupied with a very annoyed looking DJ and vice principal Zhao.

Katara wondered how that could be. She had kept a constant eye on the side door on the other side of the dance floor. It had remained closed, neither Zuko nor Zhao had come back in. At least, not through that door. Zhao must have used a different door to get back inside. A quick scan of the gymnasium told her that Zuko hadn't come back in. _Where is he_? She wondered. _Who cares? As long as he's nowhere near_! Her inner voice spoke up.

"Can I have you attention please" Zhao's voice sounded through the speakers, causing those to squeak loudly. "It had come to my attention that someone mixed a bottle of vodka through the punch. And that some of you have taken a number of drinks. As it is forbidden for you to drink alcohol, I can only assumed that this someone has done it on purpose. For this low act, I feel I have to punish all of you to make sure it will never happen again. That is why I am cancelling this dance. It is as of now, over. You all need to go home"

There was a wave of protest all around the gymnasium.

"You can't do that!"

"That's so not fair!"

"Why should we be punished for something one person did?"

"Can we please have one more song?"

But Zhao had stepped off the stage and was hoarding students in the direction of the doors.

"Katara, where are you going?" Sokka asked as Katara walked to the side door of the gymnasium.

"I just have to check something. I'll see you at the car" she called back over her shoulder. _Why are you doing this_? Her inner voice asked. She had no idea. She just _had_ to know if Zuko was still out there, for whatever reason. Something seemed to pull her in that direction. She wrestled her way through the crowd, shamelessly using her elbows and feet to ward off the other students. It was a lot faster than the first time. She reached the side door and pushed it open.

The light outside was still on, basking the scene in a cold light. There was no sign of Zuko or anyone else. But she had been sure he wasn't inside either, so where had he gone to? Her eyes roamed the surroundings again. There was something lying on the ground, just outside the circle of light. Something small. Before her brain had given conscious instructions, she had walked to it and had picked it up. It was the Blue Spirit mask she had drawn off Zuko's head. She knew they had both been mightily distracted, but how could he have forgotten to take the mask with him? Where ever he had gone to.

Zuko was passing through the cold night. The light of the lampposts were the only indication that he was walking forward at all. He had come to the dance in his car, but he didn't feel like driving at all. His thoughts were churning inside his head. To get in his car distracted as he was, would be dangerous for himself and others. He kept thinking back at Katara, how they had kissed, how they had argued. Looking back on it, he thought he could have reacted a bit high handed. But the realization that she hadn't known it was _him_ kissing her had hurt. Because he was sure he could identify her immediately the moment he would feel her lips on his again. The taste, the feel, the sense of rightness and belonging were imprinted in his brain. He stopped walking and let his mind roam freely over all the different sensations she awoke in him. His breath puffed out in clouds as he just stood there, just outside the illuminated circle cast by the lamppost.

A bird flew over and landed on the lamppost. Out of nowhere came a male voice.

"See? I told you Captain. I told you we'd get a good load here"

"Be quiet! We're not done yet. There is still some more to take" came a second voice.

The bird on the lamppost squawked and the voices fell quiet. Zuko listened carefully. He was sure that whoever had been talking were up to no good. He took a step back, making sure he was invisible. He squinted into the shadows and saw some men carrying big packages away from a dark and silent house.

"Hey!" Zuko shouted. They were clearly robbing whoever lived in that house.

One man dropped his package and turned so he was facing Zuko's direction. "Where are you? Who are you? Show me your face, you coward!" while he spoke, the other men made themselves scarce, vanishing into the night.

_Smart move. Now what do you want to do_? His inner voice commented dryly. "Show me your face, and I'll show you mine" he called back with more bravado than he felt.

There was a low chuckle. "So you want to play? All right, come and play with Sleek Oh" the man said and stepped forward so that the light of the lamppost shone down on him. He had a small, long face with high cheekbones. There were thin, dark strips on his upper lip, probably a moustache and gold hoops in both his ears. In his hand glittered the metal of a knife. "Well? Come on out here! Or I'll have to come and find you"

Zuko took a deep breath and stepped forward so that his face was visible as well. He sorely regretted leaving his mask behind at school now.

"Hmm… Scarface eh? Come here and let me make your face even prettier" Sleek Oh gestured with his knife.

Zuko knew he was acting insane. A normal person would run away, screaming murder. But he charged forward, with the intention of disarming Sleep Oh. He was quicker than Oh had expected, for there was a surprised look on the man's face as he reached him.

Just as quickly, Oh jumped out of the way and brandished his knife in front of him. Zuko went for him again. This time, he got hold of Oh's shirt. Oh slashed with his knife and cut a long wound in Zuko's forearm. Zuko drew his arm back, gritting his teeth to contain his scream of pain. He drew his right arm back and balled his hand into a fist. He quickly brought it forward and hit Oh against the jaw. He brought up his knee and made it come in contact with Oh's groin. Oh howled in pain and doubled over.

Suddenly, there were three more men standing in front of Zuko.

_Now might be a good time to run_. His inner voice advised. Zuko agreed wholehearted. While he could handle himself in an one-on-one fight, he knew he had no chance of winning against three fully grown men. He spun around and ran away. He heard the men behind him giving chase, but he was faster and eventually they gave up. Even so, he didn't stop running until he reached his house.

He let himself in and sank to the ground, back to the wall, breathing heavily. _I have to do something_. He thought. _But what_?

_Katara. I have to send her an email explaining things_. He walked up to his room and sat down behind his desk. While writing the email, he noticed he was smearing blood all over his keyboard. He looked down and saw that the wound on his arm was bleeding profusely. But he didn't feel any pain. In fact, he felt a certain amount of calm. He watched as his blood slugged out of the wound, seeing in his clothes and staining his arm. _Lo won't be happy with that. I should probably clean it_. He thought distantly. _I should also call the police to let them know someone's been robbed. But I have to finish the email first_. He resumed typing ad send off the email when it was finished. He hoped Katara wouldn't delete it the moment she saw it. He really, _really_, hoped she wouldn't do that.

**A/N:** Oh man, Zuko's in shock. You have the strangest priorities when you're in shock. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Now for the bad news... I'm going on holliday tomorow, and I won't have access to a computer for an entire week. I also don't think I'll have time to do much writing. So there won't be an update next week... :( But I hope that the week after I can post two chapters. In the meantime please be patient and as always R&R.


	21. Chapter 21 - A Gray Day

**A/N:** I know I said I would do my best to post two chapters this week, but as you might have notices, that didn't exactly work out. I was a it too eshausted from my holiday to have good inspiration. But at least here is one chapter, I hope you'll enjoy it.

The Saturday following the dance was for Zuko a struggle to get through. That morning he realized he had been in shock the night before, with too many contradicting feelings assaulting him. In his daze, he had forgotten to take proper care of his wound and had gone to bed without even washing away the blood. Which meant his arm was hurting immensely by the time he woke up the next morning. The pain was bad enough to rouse him.

Blinking in the predawn light, he vaguely wondered what had woken him. As the constant pain drew him to full consciousness, he glanced down his arm. It was caked with blood and the flesh around the wound had turned red and angry. He stared at it, wondering how on earth he had gotten it. It was only when he was in the bathroom cleaning his arm, that he remembered what had happened.

A gang of men had been robbing a house, and stupid that he was, he had confronted them. Why had he done that? Was he really that depressed after Katara had found out the Blue Spirit's true identity? The thought of Katara brought him up short. He would be facing her in just a few hours. How would she react when she saw him? Would she start yelling at him to jump off a cliff again? Would she slap him in the face as she had done before? Or would she stubbornly refuse to acknowledge his existence? Whatever it was going to be, he wasn't looking forward to it. But what could he do to change it? What did _he_ want? Did he wish last night hadn't happened? _No. _His mind was decisive. Whatever the consequences, whatever this coming day would bring, he was glad Katara finally knew who he really was. Now he could finally be completely, one hundred percent, honest with her. Provided she ever talked to him again.

He looked down at his now clean arm. The wound really was quite severe and had started to fester in some places. He would have to make sure it stayed clean, otherwise it wouldn't heal properly. _Great_. He thought. _Another scar to look forward to_. He hunted through the bathroom cabinet and dug up a rolled up gauze. He carefully wrapped it around his arm, covering the wound. He gritted his teeth as the bandage touched a sensitive spot. It wasn't easy to do since the wound was on his right arm, and he wasn't very adept with his left hand. But after a long and sometimes painful process, he managed to properly bandage the wound and had tied a somewhat sloppy knot. But it would hold and that was good enough for him.

He walked back to his bedroom and checked the clock. He still had plenty of time to have a decent breakfast and he would still arrive early at work. But with nothing better to do, he shrugged into his clothes and went downstairs to the kitchen.

Lo was already there, making scrambled eggs, his father's favourite breakfast. This made Zuko wonder if his father was up already. He didn't actually know what his father's habits were anymore, he had long ago ceased to care.

"You're up early today" Lo commented as she turned to face him. She was scooping the scrambled eggs onto a plate.

Zuko shrugged. "Couldn't sleep anymore"

"Really? I expected you to sleep in today after coming home so late last night. Although I must admit, I had thought you'd be home even later" she gave him a piercing look. She always looked at him that way when she wanted him to explain himself.

"Oh, it would have been later if the choice had been up to him" a cold voice commented from the kitchen entrance.

Zuko turned around slowly and watched his father walk into the kitchen.

"I got a phone call last night from Zhao. He thought it was prudent for me to know what you did last night" his father said without even greeting him a good morning. He sat down at the breakfast bar and started on his scrambled eggs. After taking a few bites, he spoke again. "I didn't know whether to believe him or not. He claimed you would have raped a girl if it hadn't been for his interference. Is it true?"

It physically hurt when his father asked the question. Or maybe it was his wound reminding him it was still there. "No, it's not true" he said through clenched teeth.

His father gave him a assessing look. "Then why did Zhao feel the need to send you away? _And_ put you in detention?" he inquired.

"Because he hates me"

"Teenagers" his father muttered. "You always think everyone is against you" he turned his head to look at Zuko. "Vice principal Zhao might be a brownnoser, always trying to get into my good graces to get higher on the payroll, but he is honest in his work. If he thought it justified to punish you, than I can only agree with him. Besides, punishing you would hardly get him in my good graces, so why else would he do it?"

His father's reasoning was just as difficult to understand as Zhao's had been. Zuko stared at him as he continued eating his breakfast. "We were only arguing" Zuko muttered, more to himself than to his father. He knew that in his father's eyes, he was already condemned.

"Only arguing? Zhao mentioned you might say that. Still, you were physically restraining the girl. One can hardly call that 'only arguing'" his father's voice was devoid of any warmth. Slowly he turned his head to look at Zuko again. His eyes were just as cold as his voice. "Or are you saying that Zhao was lying?"

"Yes!" Zuko replied vehemently.

"So you weren't restraining her?"

Zuko wished he could tell his father he hadn't been, but the truth was that he had been holding on to Katara to keep her where she was, what pretty much the definition of 'restraining' was. "I wasn't restraining her. I was holding on to her because I wanted to tell her something before she stormed off"

"Which is exactly the same as restraining someone" his father raised an eyebrow. "So Zhao told the truth"

"No!" Zuko yelled at his father, who's face immediately darkened with anger. Zuko knew he had to be very careful with what he was going to say next. He struggled to control his temper and to bring his voice down to a more normal level. "Yes, I was holding on to her, as Zhao told you, that part is true. But I wasn't trying to force her to do something she didn't want to do. I would never do something like that" the thought alone was sickening.

The expression on his father's face didn't change. "I should hope not" he said darkly. "I raised you better than that"

Zuko couldn't help an incredulous snort from escaping his throat. It had been a long time since his father had done something that was remotely close to parenting. His father might have been the one that sired him, but the only father-like figure he had known for a long time was his uncle.

"Something amusing you?" his father inquired coldly.

"Just the thought that you think you raised me" Zuko shrugged. He was tired of pretending he had a normal relationship with his father, while in fact it was only reluctant acceptance of each other. And he was tired of not speaking his mind. They both knew it, why not just say it out loud? Then he looked at his father's face and knew he had made a big mistake.

"What did you just say?" his father's voice was deadly calm, belying the cold menace shining from the golden eyes, so much like his own.

"Oh come on!" he couldn't believe his father was being deliberately obtuse. "We both know it! You haven't tried to raise me ever since mom died! You wished me dead! Look it up in the dictionary if you must, but that is _not_ the definition of fatherhood! Uncle has been more of a father to me than you ever were!"

"I won't be talked to like that!" his father thundered. "Young man, you may resent me for not being a good father to you. I give you leave to do so, because I absolutely loath you for what you did to Ursa! And I've had to tolerate you ever since. Well, not anymore! If that is how you speak to me, than you are no longer welcome in this house. Go! I give you until the end of the day to pack your things, but after that I never want to see you here again. Go live with that weak brother of mine if you think him a better father! I wash my hands of you!" with that, his father turned on his heal ad stalked out of the kitchen.

"Fine!" Zuko yelled after his father's retreating back. "Finally! I'm released from you!" but his father was already gone. He now stood facing the empty doorway, breathing hard, fists clenched by his sides. "I don't need you!"

Realization hit. _What did I just do?!_ For the first time ever, he had talked back to his father. He somehow felt immensely relieved. But a different feeling, a feeling of dread crept upon him. _I talked back at him. And he kicked me out. Where am I supposed to go now? What do I do?_

"Zuko?" Lo said from behind him.

With sagging shoulders he turned around to face her. "Yeah?" he suddenly felt very tired.

"I think it's for the best if you just leave. No use in staying here anymore" Lo said, her face showing no emotion at all.

"But… Where do I go?" he couldn't remember ever feeling so lost.

"You have to go to work don't you? Ask your uncle if you can stay with him. At least temporarily. Come and pick up your stuff tonight. Otherwise Mr. Ozai will undoubtedly throw everything out with the trash" totally out of character for her, she walked towards him and put her hand on his shoulder in a consoling manner. "It might not seem like it now, but moving out will be for the best. For everyone"

Zuko was far from convinced. After all, he was the one that had to find a new living space.

"Just go to work now. You don't want to be late, do you? I noticed your car wasn't in the garage"

_Damn!_ His car was still in the school parking lot. Now he had to walk all the way to the Jasmine Dragon. He checked the clock on the kitchen wall. If he started walking now, he might just make it in time. He walked out of the kitchen and grabbed his jacket from the coat rack. Shrugging into it, he rushed out the door.

While he was walking, he tried to clear his head. He refused to let his thoughts stray to what had happened. Either this morning, or the night past. Or anything that was remotely related to those events. Which didn't leave him much to think about. He stopped abruptly and covered his face with his hands.

"I'm pathetic" he said in a loud voice. All he had been thinking about lately was Katara, but since she was deeply involved in the events from the night before, he wouldn't let himself think about her. What else did his mind digest? Nothing.

"I'm pathetic!" he repeated, louder this time, startling a young mother with a stroller who just passed him. Was he really one of those guys who's entire world evolved around on girl? That was truly sad. Even if the girl in question was as amazing as Katara. Didn't he have a life of his own? _Yes. Or whatever's left of it now you've been kicked out. Banished by your own father._ His subconscious snarled.

"Damn it!" he shouted. He shoved his hands in his jacket pockets and stalked down the street. People around him gave him a wide berth when they saw the angry scowl on his face. He even managed to give a five-year-old the fright of his life by looking at him directly. The kid yelped and ran to his parents some way away. The moment the child reached his father, the man bent down and picked him up, consoling him. _Enjoy it while you can_. Zuko thought sourly. _Today he protects you from the world. Tomorrow your mother dies. The day after, he'll kick you out of the house_.

His mood hadn't brightened one bit by the time he stepped into the Jasmine Dragon. He was more than on time thanks to his quick stalk down the streets. When he opened the door, he saw his uncle standing behind the register, checking the contents.

Iroh looked up as the door opened and watched his nephew storm in. "Everything alright?" he asked with raised eyebrows. He knew Zuko had a mighty temper when pricked, but he hadn't seen a lot of it lately. Now, one look was enough for Iroh to realize something was terribly wrong. "Zuko? What's wrong?" he called after the retreating teenager.

Minutes later, Zuko came out of the linen closet where he had deposited his jacket. "He kicked me out" he stated.

Iroh looked at his nephew, completely baffled. He didn't need to ask who his nephew meant. "My brother kicked you out? Why? What happened?"

"Because I talked back. That's why. And as for what happened…" Zuko dropped down in a chair and snorted. "That's quite a long story" without saying anything else, he laid his arms on the table and let his head rest on his arms.

Utter devastation rolled off him in waves. All Iroh could do was stand and stare. He had no idea what he could do to make his nephew's plight any lighter.

"Where is Katara?" came Zuko's muffled voice.

Iroh cleared his throat. Thankful for the direction Zuko gave him. "You want to talk to Katara?" to him it wasn't entirely logical, but what did he know? He wasn't a teenager anymore. And his two employees seemed to get along splendidly. Zuko's snort clarified things.

"No! I don't want her to see me like this"

Iroh let out a breath, relieved that with that at least, he could help his nephew. "Katara won't be working today"

Zuko lifted his head and looked up at him. "Why not?" was that anxiety in his eyes? "Is she sick?"

Iroh shook his head. "No, as far as I know, she's as fit as a _Rostrhamus sociabilis_ with a belly full of _Gastropoda_. She told me last week that she had swimming practice today. Something to do with upcoming preliminaries"

Zuko stared at him. "As fit was _what_?"

"A _Rostrhamus sociabilis_. A Snail Kite"

When Zuko kept staring at him with an unbelieving look on his face, Iroh explained further. "A bird of prey"

"I know what a Snail Kite is Uncle" Zuko said irritated. "I just can't believe you can compare Katara with a bird that resides in a swamp and eats snails"

Iroh shrugged. "Why not? It is a magnificent creature. And snails are actually very tasty"

Zuko snorted again. "So she's not here? Good"

Iroh frowned. "Why is that good? Do you find it bothersome if she is to see you like this? Or did something happen between you two?"

Zuko looked down on his hands. "It's a long story"

"Another long story? You're full of long stories today"

Zuko let out a humourless laugh. "It's the same story actually. But I won't bother you with it. It's something I have to figure out on my own"

"Zuko" Iroh stepped closer and put his hands on his nephew's shoulder. "You might think and act like you're on your own. Anyone would feel that way when they got sent away by their own father. But you are not alone. I'm here for you. I invite you, no implore you, to come and live with me" he held up his hand when Zuko opened his mouth to protest. "Not just for your sake, but for mine as well. I'm getting older and I can use a helping hand around. Besides, I'm lonely" he knew his nephew had a great deal of pride coursing through his veins. One trait he had inherited from his father. And by couching his request like it was for his own benefit as well as Zuko's was the way to ensure his nephew would agree.

He looked down at Zuko and saw tears spring to the boy's eyes. At the same time, he felt the shoulder on which his hand rested, sag. Looking like he did, Zuko truly looking like a young boy in need of a reassuring parent.

"Thank you Uncle. I would love to come and live with you" Zuko said while he tried to wipe away the tears that started rolling down his cheeks.

"Good. Now that that is settled, I suggest we go and collect your things after we close for today. Or do you want to do it tomorrow?"

Zuko shook his head. "He gave me only today to pack up and leave. After today he doesn't want to see me there ever again"

Iroh was taken aback by his brother's cold heartedness. He could only wonder how much hatred still lingered is his brother's heart. "Well then, today it will be. The sooner the better" he didn't know what else to say to lighten the mood.

Zuko pulled himself together. _Everything will be alright._ He told himself. _I will stay with Uncle. We are going to pick everything up tonight. There is no need to worry anymore. I have a place to stay. I won't have to face Katara today. For today everything is alright. Leave tomorrow's problems for tomorrow. Today everything is alright._ With that mantra playing in his head, he gave a tight smile to his uncle and went to work.

Because of Katara's absence, he had twice as much work to do, twice as much customers to serve. He didn't mind, he even preferred it. That way, he barely had time to think about his own situation, or anything pertaining Katara.

Regrettably, he wasn't the only one who had wondered where Katara was. When he stood by the table where Mr. and Mrs. Kuruk sat, they inquired why Katara wasn't there.

"I say, where is your lovely co-worker today?" Mrs. Kuruk asked.

"She has swimming practice today. She's on the school's swimming team and the preliminaries are next week"

"She's on the swim team? That is quite an accomplishment. Is she good?" Mr. Kuruk asked.

"One of the best. She the team captain" he couldn't deny feeling reluctant pride. It _was_ an accomplishment. The feeling left a bitter taste in his mouth. It wasn't like he was jealous of Katara, far from it, but he rather didn't think nice things about her right this moment.

Mr. Kuruk whistled. "Team captain. Not too shabby"

"If you see her again before the preliminaries, do wish her the best of luck from us" Mrs. Kuruk implored.

"I will. She'll like that" Zuko promised.

He didn't know whether or not it was a good thing that he now had a reason to talk to Katara. On the one hand, he wanted to talk to her, to find out if she was alright. One the other hand he was still miffed that she hadn't recognized him. On top of that, hadn't he just resolved to not be so immersed in her, to proof that he wasn't one of those guys who's entire life revolved about a girl? _Today, I won't think of her again_. He thought firmly to himself. _Today, I have nothing to do with her_. With that resounding in the back of his head, he went back to work.

About half an hour before closing time, the door of the Jasmine Dragon opened again to let in another customer. A slender girl walked through and scanned the now half empty room. A smiled played on her lips when her eyes found Zuko standing at the bar, waiting for his uncle to finish preparing tea. She chose a seat near the window, where the sun would shine through and give her braided brown hair a shine of gold. Once she was seated, she waited patiently for Zuko to come and take her order.

"Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon" Zuko greeted her as he came to stand at her table. "Do you know what you would like?"

"Yes" the girl smiled up at him. "Your name and phone number please"

Startled, Zuko looked up from his writing pad ad looked down at the girl, into warm brown eyes. "What?" did he just hear that correctly?

"I would like your name and phone number please" the girl repeated boldly.

"Er… Zuko. And I don't usually give my number to strangers"

She didn't look put out. "Hi Zuko, I'm Jin. Now, we're no strangers anymore, are we?" she winked at him. "But if you don't want to give me your number, the least you can do is take me out on a date… Sound fair, doesn't it?"

"A… a date?" Zuko stuttered. "You want to go on a date with me?" no girl had ever asked him out on a date. It was a refreshingly novel experience.

"Yes, I do. So what do you say? Are you free tonight?"

Zuko would have loved to be able to say yes. Unfortunately, tonight was the one night that didn't suit. "I would like to go out with you Jin, but I already have plans for tonight. Tomorrow ok too?"

Jin made a face. "I'm sorry, tomorrow isn't possible for me" she seemed to think about something. "How about Wednesday? I have a test that morning and I have to cram for that. But Wednesday evening is good for me"

Zuko mentally revised his own agenda for the upcoming week. "Wednesday's good. Six o'clock?"

"Sounds good. I'll meet you here, I know a divine restaurant close by. You'll love it there" she smiled at him again.

He smiled back at her. She was cute when she smiled. "Now, can I get you anything tea related, or was it your only objective to ask me out?" he joked.

Jin laughed. "My objective was to get your number Zuko. But a date is better, I think. And yes, I would like a cup of Green tea and a brownie"

"Green tea and a brownie" he repeated as he wrote it down. "Coming right up"

"What did you and Jin talk about?" Iroh inquired when Zuko was back at the bar. "You seemed to have fun together"

"You know her" Zuko asked surprised.

"Of course I do. She's been coming here for weeks. Talked to her myself a couple of times. Is everything alright with her?"

"I think so. She asked me out on a date" Zuko sounded as if he still had trouble believing it.

Iroh looked at him sharply. Then his face cleared and he smiled broadly. "How wonderful! When?"

"Wednesday" there was a new but definite light in Zuko's eyes. "I'm looking forward to it" he smiled and turned around to bring Jin her tea.

_Ah, mission accomplished._ Iroh thought to himself. _He is smiling again. That proves that even the greyest of days has a ray of sunshine._

**A/N:** So I wanted to do a chapter without Katara in it, sometimes even I, as the writer of this story, get tired of her whining. Anyway, I hope you liked it, please let me know what you think of it. So R&R to make me happy!


	22. Chapter 22 - A Ray of Sunshine

**A/N:** So I hadn't really planned on writing this chapter, but jellybean530 gave me the idea to write about the same time, but then from Katara's POV. So thank you jellybean530 for the nice idea, I hope you all like the result.

"How was that?" Katara asked as she reached the side of the pool. She looked up from the water to Coach Pakku. He was shaking his head, a sad expression clear on his face.

"Not good Katara. Just like the last few tries, it's even getting worse. What is with you today?"

Katara felt stunned. How could she be getting worse? The last two attempts had already been abysmal. But, frustratingly, he mind kept going back to the night before, to Zuko. _I have to get it together_. She thought firmly. _I can't be that involved in Zuko to the extent that my swimming suffers. He's simply not worth it!_

"Get out of the water and do it again" Coach Pakku drew her away from her thoughts. "And this time it better be a good run"

"Yes Coach" Katara planted her hands firmly on the tiled border of the pool and heaved herself out of the water. She walked back along the length of the pool, to where the starting blocks were situated. Keiko and Ta Min were already there, ready to dive in the water and get across the pool as fast as possible. As Ta Min dove forward and cleaved trough the water, Keiko straightened from her stance when Katara came to stand on the block next to her.

"What's wrong with you today?"

Katara inwardly groaned. Was it really _that_ obvious? "I have a lot on my mind today" she muttered.

"Well, you'd better get whatever it is off your mind. Because if you're going to swim like you do today during the preliminaries, we'll definitely lose" Keiko stated.

"Oh, come on! I know I'm not on my best today, but it's not that bad!"

Keiko gave her a calculating look. "If you are so sure, why don't you prove it?"

"Prove it how?" but she could see the challenge in Keiko's eyes.

"I'll race you. To the other side of the pool and back. First to start the starting blocks wins"

It was a strict rule that during practice there would be no racing each other, unless Coach Pakku gave his permission. And even than it was with the entire team, not just the two of them. Katara thought it was a stupid rule, but apparently, it had something to do with rivalry in the team, instead of companionship. But Coach Pakku was on the other side of the pool, who was to say they were racing each other? While just the same, they could have jumped in the water at the same time by accident. In either case, they had to get to the other side as fast as possible, otherwise it would defeat to purpose of 'training'.

"Ok, I'll race you" Katara said and bent over into her starting position. From the corner of her eye, she saw Keiko grin and bent down as well.

"On three. One… Two…"

Katara blew out her breath and cleared her head. This was important, she couldn't let herself be distracted. Especially not by thoughts of Zuko, who had annoyingly danced with her through her dreams last night. _Right now, my head is empty. Right now, I have to concentrate on swimming_. She stared down at the water in front of her, concentrating on it. _I'm not just in the water, I'll become the water_. She wiggled her toes as she felt the adrenaline course through her veins.

"Three!" Keiko said.

Katara held her breath and dove into the water. When she was completely submerged, it was like she was alone. She didn't hear her other teammates talking to each other, or Coach Pakku calling out instructions. Under water she was in a world of her own. She loved it. She moved her arms and legs in a perfectly executed swimming stroke and shot forward in the water. She stayed under as long as possible, until her lungs were screaming for her to release the carbon dioxide. She blew out some air and managed a few more strokes before she let herself surface, gasping for air. Before she knew it, the other side of the pool loomed up before her. She dove down again and executed a perfect turn by throwing her legs over her head and pushing herself off against the pool wall. This time, she surfaced immediately, she was already out of breath. She let her arms cleave through the water while she kicked her legs. She shot forward, like a bullet released from a gun. A sense of elation filled her at the feeling of moving swiftly through the water. To her, the water wasn't an obstacle to conquer, to her the water was like a caressing hand, pushing her forward to her destination. She loved this feeling, like she was on her own in the water. She brought her arm forward again and encountered the side of the pool. She looked back over her shoulder and saw that Keiko was only halfway on her second lap. She smiled to herself ad waited patiently for Keiko to finish.

"I win" Katara declared triumphantly when Keiko reached her starting block.

Keiko looked up and blew out her breath. "Yeah, you win. Remind me to never challenge you again" but she was laughing as she said it.

Katara was about to make a remark when a voice from above drew their attention. "Ladies. Care to explain what you were doing just now?"

They looked up at Coach Pakku, who was looking down at them with a quirked eyebrow.

Katara cast a furtive glance Keiko's way, and saw her teammate was doing the same. She drew in a deep breath. It was better to be honest. "We were having a friendly race, Coach"

"I saw that. And yet, you've both been on the team before. Which means both of you knew that racing each other during practice is prohibited"

"I just wanted to help Katara, Coach" Keiko said. "She needed a bit of competition to get at her normal level. And it worked. Didn't you see her Coach? Has she ever been that fast?"

Katara felt herself blush as she heard the praise. She had been faster than Keiko, but it hadn't felt like she was even faster than herself on a normal day.

Coach Pakku looked from Keiko to Katara, then heaved a sigh. "Very well, this time I'll let you go with a warning. But there will be no more racing each other, unless I tell you differently. Understood?"

"Yes Coach" they said in unison.

"Good. Now, both of you will do five laps back crawl. And no racing!" Coach Pakku warned them.

Katara pushed herself off and swam to the other side of the pool, on her back. Now that the thrill of the race was gone, her mind was let free to wander where it would. Which was mightily distractive. She even messed up her stroke as she saw an image of Zuko, pulling a blue mask away from his face. Anger bubbled up inside her. Why hadn't he told her? Why had he pretended he hadn't known her? Why had he lied to her? So many questions and only he had the answers. But she was still too angry with him to face him. She didn't know what she might do when that happened.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't notice she was nearing the side of the pool. So instead of executing a turn on time and swimming the other way, she kept on kicking her legs to give herself more speed. She was brought up short when her head crashed against the pool wall. Pain exploded in her head, and for a moment her vision went completely black. The pain was excruciating enough to bring tears to her eyes. She immediately straightened herself in the water and clutched her head with both her hands. She must have yelled out, because all her teammates and Coach Pakku were gathering around her.

"Katara! Are you ok? What happened?" Lily was the first to reach her.

"She crashed against the wall" Zhang said from the side of the pool.

_No shit, Sherlock._ Katara thought venomously.

"I think she hurt her head badly" Moria said in a concerned voice.

"Katara?" Leean said from close by. A small hand touched her arm. "Katara, can you hear us?"

Katara had her eyes firmly closed, knowing that if she opened them, the light would only make the pain worse. But she had to give some sign that she was ok. Sort of. "Yeah" she croaked. "I can hear you. I'm fine. My head hurts, that's all"

"Break it up girls, go back to your practicing" Coach Pakku said with authority. "Katara, hold up your hands, I'll pull you out of the water. I want to check you before you continue swimming"

Reluctantly, Katara let go of her head and reached up. It felt like her hands were the only things that held her head together. Two strong hands took hold of her and pulled her up. When she felt hard tiled floor beneath her feet, she made an effort to stand on her own. But a wave of dizziness hit ad if it hadn't been for the pair of strong arms holding her up, she would have fallen on her face.

"Katara!" several voices exclaimed, making her wince at the noise.

"I'm fine" she said again. "I just need to sit down" she opened her eyes a little and looked through her eyelashes. The pain did intensify, but not by much, so she opened her eyes a bit further. Now she could see all the concerned faces of her teammates.

"Girls. Back to practice" Coach Pakku said as he led Katara to one of the benches. He sat her down and draped a towel around her shoulders. "Now" he said in a considerable softer tone. "What happened?"

Katara huddled beneath the towel. "I got distracted and forgot to turn" she explained lamely.

"Distracted. By what?"

She shrugged and immediately regretted it. The movement caused pain to pierce her head again. She winced and tried to keep as still as possible. "I have a lot on my mind"

Coach Pakku looked unconvinced. "A lot on your mind? Or did you happen to have drank from the punch at the dance last night?"

"No Coach" Katara denied the semi accusation. "I didn't drink any punch last night"

Coach Pakku looked at her like he didn't believe her, and she didn't blame him, she'd been acting off the entire training, but he let it slide. "Let me look at your head, you may have sustained an injury"

Obediently she took off her swim cap. She had braided her hair around her head, which meant if there was a wound, it wouldn't be easily visible.

"Hmm… No blood" Coach Pakku mused. Gently his fingers probed around on her head. "No wound. Good" he sat down next to Katara. "How do you feel?"

"Like my head is about to explode" Katara muttered.

"I can imagine that. But is there anything else? Dizziness, a blurry vision?"

Katara checked all her faculties. The dizziness had receded as soon as she had sat down. And it seemed like there was nothing wrong with her eyesight. "I'm fine now, but I don't know what'll happen when I stand up"

"How many fingers am I holding up?" Coach Pakku asked as he waved his hand with three extended fingers in front of her face.

"Three" he dropped one finger. "Two" he spread out his hand. "Five"

"Good. Take it easy. Sit for a while, try to stand when you think you're ready. But don't overexert yourself"

"Yes Coach" if it as up to her, she wouldn't be standing for a while.

Coach Pakku got up to coordinate the other girls. Katara was left on her own. She looked glumly ahead. For once, her head was empty of thoughts. She watched her teammates train their butts off to placate Coach Pakku. A stab of urgency went through her. She should be training as well, the preliminaries were in one week. But instead she was sitting at the side-lines, nursing a terrible headache she couldn't afford. _And all of it is Zuko's fault_. She thought bitterly. _If he hadn't lied to me, I wouldn't have been angry with him. Then I wouldn't have been distracted during practice. And I wouldn't have hit my head. I should be in the water_. She thought. But she knew that would be _beyond_ a terrible idea.

Felling she ought to do _something_ to at least encourage her teammates, she got up. She paused, but there was no more lingering dizziness. Slowly, she walked to the edge of the pool and studied Moria's swimming strokes. They were nearly perfect, but if she made the movements tighter, she would move even faster. Katara settled herself on the side of the pool, her legs dangling in the water and waited until Moria reached the side of the pool and surfaced.

"If you make your strokes tighter, you'd go faster" she said as Moria looked up at her.

"Really? Moria sounded doubtful. "Ok, I'll try" she pushed herself off, and swam to the other side of the pool and back, making her strokes as tight as she possibly could. Katara checked her time. There was a definite improvement.

"Hey, you were right! Thanks Katara" Moria said as she reached Katara again.

"You're welcome" Moria dove under again ad Katara moved on to the next lane. Zhang was there, working on her turns. It was definitely a weakness of Zhang's. She either dove too early, or too late, making it impossible to execute the flip or to properly push herself off against the pool wall. Katara watched her for a while, trying to decipher where exactly it went wrong. T seemed like Zhang didn't have a clear idea of where the pool wall was, and made her turns on good faith.

"Zhang?" Katara called out.

Zhang looked up from the water and swam forward as Katara beckoned. "What?"

"Do you want me to help you execute your turns?"

"If you could, I would be grateful. I know I'm doing them wrong, but Coach Pakku is busy with the others" Zhang said morosely.

"Do you have any idea where the pool wall is when you are swimming?"

"In front of me" Zhang joked.

Katara rolled her eyes. There were times and places where joking was appropriate. During practice was neither. "I meant, how far removed from you. As in do you know the distance between yourself and the wall?"

"Not really. I'm concentrating on my strokes"

"Can you show me how you swim? How long your strokes are?"

"Sure" Zhang swam to the middle of her lane. Then she turned and swam back to Katara.

Katara watched and calculated. When Zhang was back, she gave her verdict. "Your strokes are good. But you have to look in front of you as well, not the entire time, but enough to know how far the wall is. Look at the edge of the pool. When you judge you're about to strokes away from the side, you have to dive and turn. Can you try that?"

Zhang frowned slightly. "Two strokes?" but she did as Katara suggested anyway. And executed a good turn.

"Good job!" Katara smiled as Zhang did it again.

Zhang smiled back and turned again. Katara moved on. She commented and made suggestions to her teammates, hoping to improve hem as much as she could. At one point, she noticed Coach Pakku looking at her. She looked back at him, wondering if she was doing something wrong. But he only nodded and went back to instructing Valka. When the training was drawing to a close, Coach Pakku called everyone together.

"All right girls. I've seen a lot of good work today. And it makes me proud , knowing that I'm your coach. But before you hit the showers, I would like to hold a relay race. Two teams, against each other"

There was an exited murmur amongst them.

"But Coach, if Katara can't swim, we won't have even teams" Koko pointed out.

Mentally, Katara checked her head. It was still hurting, but she didn't want to let the opportunity to race pass her by. "I'm ok. I can participate"

"Are you sure?" Coach Pakku asked.

Katara nodded decisively. "Yes"

"All right then. Ta Min, Lily, assemble your teams"

"I want Katara!" Lily declared immediately.

"That's not fair!" Ta Min protested. "I want Katara to be on my team"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Talk about unfairness. If you and Katara are on the same team, we won't have a chance of winning"

Ta Min and Katara grinned at each other. "All right, fine" Ta Min conceded. "You can have Katara. I choose Rika"

"Leean" Lily said.

"Valka"

"Moria"

"Koko"

"Zhang"

"Keiko"

As the girls were chosen, they went to stand by their group.

"Good" Coach Pakku said as the two teams were formed. "You all know the rules of a relay race. You'll all do two laps. Only when you touch the starting block is the next one allowed to dive in. And remember, this is a race. Be as fast as you can. May the best team win"

"Ok, who wants to go first?" Lily turned to her assembled team.

"I'd like to go first" Zhang said. "That way, I won't have to stress too much"

"I'll go next" Leean said. The nerves were already taking their toll, she was jumping up and down, bot able to stand still.

"Who's next?" Lily looked at Moria.

Moria shrugged. "I don't mind going next"

"That's settled then. Zhang first, then Leean, Moria, me and Katara's last"

"Why do I have to go last?" Katara wondered out loud.

"_Because_" Lily rolled her eyes in exaggeration. "You can bet all your money on the fact that Ta Min will go last as well. I want to see who of the two of you is fastest" she smirked.

"Are both teams ready?" Coach Pakku said before Katara could protest.

"Yes Coach" everyone said.

"First swimmers, take you positions. On my whistle"

Zhang and Valka walked over to the starting blocks and waited for the whistle. Coach Pakku blew once, releasing a loud, shrill sound, and they were off. Their places were taken by Leean and Koko. Everyone was shouting encouragements, urging the swimmers to go faster. When Zhang was nearly at the end of the pool, Katara held her breath. _Two strokes. Please remember the two strokes_. She thought vehemently. Zhang was getting closer and closer, then dove. She executed a perfect turn. Katara released her breath and yelled with the rest of the team. But Valka was faster and reached the starting blocks first. The moment her hand touched it, Koko dove in the water. Seconds later, Leean followed suit as Zhang came in.

"Great turn" Katara congratulated Zhang as she helped her getting out of the water. Zhang grinned from ear to ear.

Leean and Koko were well matched, It was only because Koko had had a head start that she finished before Leean. Rika and Moria took their places and Moria managed to catch up and finished before Rika. Lily dove in the water, followed by Keiko. Unfortunately, Lily messed up her turn and Keiko was in the lead. Ta Min was in the water five whole seconds before Katara was allowed to dive in. The moment she was in the water, Katara let the shouts vanish to the background. She had to concentrate on winning. And Ta Min was in front of her. Se concentrated on her movements, making her strokes tighter. She looked up and judged the distance to the pool wall. _Two stroke. Dive!_ She dove and turned. A wave of dizziness hit her as the world turned up-sight down. _NO!_ She thought desperately. _Not now! I have to win!_ With calculated determination, she pushed through the dizziness and the exploding pain in her head. Ruthlessly, she pushed herself to give it her all.

She felt the starting block under her fingertips. She stopped kicking and raised her head. Sound rushed back to her ears and she heard her team shouting victory. She looked to the lane next to hers, just as Ta Min finished.

Congratulations were extended as they all walked to the girls' locker room and hit the showers. Katara made sure not to move her head to much while she walked. The pain in her head had increased now that she had nothing to concentrate on. She showered quickly and changed into her normal clothes. She checked her phone and saw that it already was five o'clock. Sokka would be here to pick her up. Glad she wouldn't have to wait for him, she bid her teammates goodbye and made her way to the parking lot. But when she got there, there was no sign of Sokka. In fact, the parking lot was completely empty, with the exception of only one car. Annoyed, she took out her phone and dialled her brother's number.

"Yo, yo yo! This is Sokka's voicemail. Leave, like, a message and I probably won't get back to you. Try again later. Sokka out!" there was a beep, signalling she could leave her message.

"Sokka, you idiot!" she nearly shouted into the receiver. "You promised to come and pick me up. Where are you?" she hung up. There was no use in calling again, so he sent her brother an angry text, telling him what she thought of his tardiness. But what else could she do? Calling home was no use. At home, Sokka always had his phone with him. And Gran-Gran didn't have a driver's license, so she couldn't come and pick her up. So there was no other solution then to walk home and curse her brother while she was at it.

Thirty minutes later, she wasn't even halfway home, her headache had increased again. She shivered inside her coat, wishing she had worn her hat when she went out this morning, like Gran-Gran had advised her. But he had thought it wasn't necessary since she would be sitting inside a warm car. Now, she cursed herself as the cold November air cooled her wet hair more than she wanted to. She gritted her teeth to keep them from chattering, and kept on walking.

Finally, a quarter past six, she let herself in her house. "Hello? Sokka? Where are you?"

Gran-Gran walked out of the kitchen. "Katara! There you are! I was getting worried that something had happened to you. I thought practice was only until five?"

"It was" Katara grumbled as she shrugged out of her coat and hung it on a peg. "But Sokka wasn't there to pick me up and he didn't pick up his phone, so I had to walk home"

"Oh dear. Are you alright? Maybe you should take a nice warm bath, you looked chilled"

That was always the solution to everything according to her grandmother. A warm bath. And even though she had lain in the water the entire day, she felt like a bath would do her good. But there were more important things right now, namely killing her brother. "Where is Sokka?"

"He's not here. He went out just before lunch. He said something about going to help Suki with her homework" Gran-Gran pressed her lips together, slightly disapproving.

"He's with _Suki_?" Katara couldn't believe it. But it did make sense. Only Suki could distract him enough and make him forget he had to pick up his younger sister. "I think I'd better call her then" Katara mused.

"Hello?" Suki answered her phone after it had rung six times. She sounded breathless and distracted.

"Suki" Katara said in a super sweet voice. "Is there any chance that my brother is there with you?"

"Katara? Is that you? Yes, Sokka is here, why?"

"Can you put him on? I want to talk to him for a minute"

There was a pause as Katara waited to speak to her brother. She could her a hissed discussion on the other side of the line.

"Er, Katara?" it was still Suki talking. "He doesn't seem to want to talk to you… He is shaking his head"

"What a surprise…" Katara muttered. "Can you then at least put the phone on speaker, so he can hear me?"

"Er, sure" pause. "Go ahead Katara, you're on speaker"

"Hi Sokka, I know you're there. And I'm sure you know why I'm calling. I just want to let you know that I am deeply disappointed in you. And that when you get home, you'd better be on guard" with that, she hung up. She actually felt like shouting at her brother and call him names, but Gran-Gran was still standing in front of her, and her grandmother didn't take kindly to a foul mouth. Besides, threatening him like she just did was more effective in the long run. But still, it had done nary a thing to lighten up her current mood.

Kanna looked at her granddaughter and saw her dark mood. "I have something that might cheer you up"

Katara looked up, a glum look on her face. She wasn't sure anything could cheer her up right now. "I don't think so Gran-Gran. This is a gray day for me"

"Every gray day has a ray of sunshine dear" Kanna smiled. "Your father called. He is coming home next week"

**A/N:** And now for the bad news... I'm going away _again_. (why do I keep doing that?) so next week there won't be an update. But I'll try to write as much as I can, I promise. Anyway, R&R to let me know what you think, it will always be appreciated.


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